Red Chains
by zeitgeistx
Summary: Natsuki Kuga led a normal life until one night, when she was abducted off the streets. After meeting the mysterious Shizuru Fujino and discovering the hidden world of Immortals, she and her friends would find themselves trapped in a tangled web of love, hate, betrayal and vengeance. AU/OOC. Shiznat and other pairings.
1. Chapter 1: Encounter

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

A/N: This is my first piece of fiction ever (not counting the little essays I did in school) so please be kind, review, and review kindly :)

Perhaps the vampire genre has been overdone but I hope that you will enjoy it all the same. And given that this is AU and totally OOC, I guess I have quite a bit of leeway as to how the story develops...

* * *

**Chapter 1: Encounter **

Natsuki woke up to an uncomfortable sensation in her wrists. She groaned as she blinked a few times to clear her vision. _Where…where am I? _The whiteness above, she determined, was the ceiling. She was lying down on something soft. _A bed perhaps? _And her hands… Natsuki glanced to her left and her eyes widened in shock. Her left wrist was tied with a black rope to the bedpost. She quickly looked around. Both her wrists and her ankles were tied to the four corners of the bed. _What on earth? _She tugged at the securely tied ropes in vain while desperately trying to remember how she got to this state. _Let's see… I was walking to the convenience store to get a drink… I was walking in the alley near the store… I heard footsteps behind me… and suddenly something hit me behind and… and… _Natsuki realised that the back of her neck was aching. _Shit_.

Natsuki surveyed her surroundings. She was in a rather small room. The curtains were drawn so she could not tell what time it was. Across the room from the bed was a wooden desk and chair. At the other corner of the room was a wardrobe. Although the furnishings were simple they were tasteful. On the other hand, there was no sign of the room being lived in.

Natsuki was still trying to figure out why she ended up in this situation when the door opened. A tall woman with short blonde hair stepped into the room and glanced at Natsuki. Before Natsuki could open her mouth to question her, the blonde woman turned around and bowed respectfully to a figure standing at the doorway. The blonde woman then stepped aside to the let the figure into the room.

Natsuki stopped breathing for a moment when the figure walked into the room. The girl looked like she was in her late teens. She had copperish blonde hair which was slightly wavy and reached past her shoulders. A creamy complexion, a perfect nose and luscious lips. What really captured Natsuki's attention, however, was the girl's eyes. _Crimson? I have not seen anything like it before. _Although the girl was merely dressed in a white t-shirt and black skinny jeans, Natsuki knew that this girl is definitely classified as _scorching hot_.

When Natsuki finally broke out of her reverie, she saw the girl looking at her with a most amused expression on her face. Natsuki could feel her face heating up under the girl's stare. _Why is she looking at me like that? Like she's appraising me… _

After what seemed to be an eternity, the girl spoke. "Ara ara, what do we have here Shida-san?" Her melodious voice only caused Natsuki's face to heat up further. _Kyoto-ben? _

The blonde woman bowed to the girl and smiled. "Fujino-sama, this is our welcome present to you."

"Really? How thoughtful of you!" The girl's grin grew wider as she stared – or leered to be exact – at Natsuki. _What present? I'm the present? _Natsuki was getting a very bad feeling about this.

"What is going on? Who are you people? Let me go right now!" Natsuki demanded loudly.

"Ara, a feisty one! Totally my type." The girl called Fujino started walking towards Natsuki, a strange expression on her face.

"You…you! What… Stay away from me!" Natsuki tried to shift further back on the bed but was hindered by the ropes binding her ankles. _Damn it!_ In one swift movement, the girl leapt onto the bed and straddled Natsuki's hips. She then leaned forward such that her lips were almost touching Natsuki's ear. Natsuki froze. "There's no point in struggling… besides, I'm promise that you'll enjoy this very much." Before Natsuki could protest, the girl reached out her right hand and held on to Natsuki's chin, and promptly kissed her on the lips.

Natsuki was in shock. She struggled but the girl's grip was too strong. When the girl finally loosened her hold, Natsuki turned her head away from the girl. "Sto…stop!" She yelled angrily. But the girl leaned forward again and pressed her lips on Natsuki's now exposed neck. Natsuki felt shudders in her body as the girl moved lower along her neck, kissing her hungrily until she reached Natsuki's shoulder. "Ugh…get off me you pervert!" Natsuki tried to drag herself away from the girl without success. The bed shook as she struggled. The ropes were cutting into her wrists, which were hurting like hell from the strain.

"No need to get so excited now. We're just getting started…" The girl paused her ministrations and cooed seductively into Natsuki's ear. What happened next nearly drove Natsuki mad with rage. The girl had reached one hand under Natsuki's sweatshirt and started caressing her bare skin. "No! No! Stop!" The girl ignored her and moved her roving hand lower. "GET OFF ME!" Natsuki was shouting at the top of her voice now. As the girl's hand shifted lower and lower, Natsuki panicked. _No! No! No! Why is this happening to me? _She squeezed her eyes shut as they started to get teary.

The hand stopped moving. The girl pushed herself up from the bed and turned her body to face the blonde woman. "Shida-san, I would prefer to do this in private," the girl said as she grinned mischievously. The blonde woman, who had been watching intently with a dark flush on her face, immediately bowed. "Of course, Fujino-sama. Please let us know if you need anything." She then turned stiffly and walked out of the room. When the door closed, the girl jumped out of the bed and turned the lock with a soft click. She then leaned with one ear flat against the door.

Natsuki's heart was racing. She glared at the girl who appeared to be listening intently to what was going on outside. After a while, the girl spun around. Natsuki's felt queasy as she expected the girl to pounce on her. However the girl merely strode and plopped herself gracefully on the chair across the room.

"Ara… Are you ok?" The girl asked. Natsuki was so stunned by the sudden turn of events that she was rendered speechless. "I can't really explain… but I am really sorry for what happened earlier." The girl continued, her expression apologetic. Natsuki's anger rose. "What the hell do you mean by this? Let me go!" She was shocked again, however, when the girl stood up and crossed the room in one quick and fluid motion. _Almost too quick_. "Shush! Keep it down if you do not want to get into trouble." Natsuki immediately kept quiet as she saw the look on the girl's face. Something told her that it was better to obey what the girl said.

The girl glanced at Natsuki's wrists and her face softened. "As I said before, I am really sorry about this. If I hadn't acted in such a manner earlier, worse things might happen to you. But don't worry. I will make sure that you get back home safe."

Natsuki's head was swimming with so many questions that she could not decide which one to ask first. The girl, who was standing next to the bed with her arms folded and a thoughtful expression on her face, beat her to it. "What is your name?"

"Me? Err… Natsuki… Kuga" Natsuki immediately frowned. _Why the hell did I tell her my name for? _

"Natsuki Kuga… you have a nice name." The girl smiled.

Natsuki could feel a blush coming to her face. It felt strangely pleasant hearing the girl call her name in her melodious voice.

"Well Kuga-san, I will send you home. But I need to do something before that."

"Huh? What?"

Natsuki was once again rudely shocked by the girl leaping onto the bed and pressing her against the sheets. "What are you doing?" The girl bent her head lower so that her lips were at Natsuki's neck. Natsuki's body stiffened as she felt the cool breath against her skin. _Wait. Cool? _

"Please forgive me… It will arouse their suspicions if I do not do this," the girl whispered. Natsuki tilted her head to look at the girl at once. Her heart seized as the girl parted her lips slightly, revealing a pair of what appeared to be very overgrown canines. In fact, they looked like fangs. _What on earth? It…it…can't be? _The girl grabbed Natsuki's shoulder and buried her face in Natuski's neck. Her body jerked in response to the sharp pain. _I am going to die... _Natsuki thought as darkness swiftly consumed her.

* * *

Natsuki reached out her right arm and groped around blindly for a few moments before she found the offending object. She then slammed her palm unceremoniously onto the said object before it could make another sound. _Damn alarm_. She rolled over in her bed groggily, squeezing her blanket for comfort. _I had a strange dream… _

Natsuki suddenly jerked and sat bolt upright on her bed. _Wait a minute_. She tried to rub the remaining sleepiness from her eyes with her palms. And saw the angry red marks on her wrists. _What?... _She stared at her wrists and gradually felt the stinging pain radiating from the wounds. _Shit… no way…_

Natsuki sprung out of bed and hurried into the toilet, where she stood before the mirror hanging over the washbasin. She took a deep breath before tilting her head to the side to check her neck. She leaned closer to the mirror to scrutinise her skin. _Oh hell_. She saw two faint red marks. Her stomach churned and she felt dizzy all of a sudden. _No way_. Her hands clutched the sides of the washbasin in order to steady herself. The events of the night before hit her like a bullet train.

Natsuki's frantic thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She hesitantly stepped out of the toilet and picked up her phone.

"Hullo?"

"Natsuki! Are you awake?"

Natsuki frowned in annoyance. "Of course I'm awake, otherwise I won't be talking to you right?"

"Oops. Well, make sure you get to school on time! You wouldn't want to mess with kaichou-san on the first day of school right?" The voice continued in a cheery manner.

"Yes yes…" Natsuki sighed. _Damn that stupid student president. I wouldn't want to spend another afternoon in detention with her_. She decided to brush aside her disturbing thoughts of the night before and get ready for school.

* * *

"Woah Kuga. Don't tell me that there's gonna be a blue moon tonight?"

"Shut it Nao. I'm in no mood to bicker with you." Natsuki glared at the red-head as she stepped off her dark blue Ducati. She slung her bag on one shoulder and stomped off towards the school gates.

Nao snickered. _Today's gonna be interesting_, she mused as she strode quickly after Natsuki.

Nao kept a distance as she followed Natsuki across the school's courtyard. She grinned as Natsuki appeared to be completely oblivious to the commotion that she was causing. _Or should I say, she is just ignoring them? _Students scattered around the courtyard had stopped in their tracks to gawk at Natsuki as she made her way towards the classrooms. Some of them were whispering to each excitedly; others were point or nodding discreetly in her direction. Nao's grin grew wider. _This is just going to piss her off further. _

It was common knowledge that Natsuki was the most admired girl in school. She was, simply put, stunning – dark, straight and silky long hair, refined features, pale skin, emerald eyes that almost glow when she gets into one of her moods. But her personality was also legendary. _Ice beauty, they call her. More like dry ice to me. _Nao snickered again.

Granted, this was one of the reasons why Nao and her were friends. _This girl's got attitude_, was Nao's assessment of Natsuki when she first met her in middle school. As for Natsuki, Nao was one of the few persons who would not stare dazedly at Natsuki whenever she walks past. _Or have a nosebleed_, Nao scoffed. Of all things, Natsuki hated people staring at her the most.

By the time Nao strolled to the building, Natsuki stepped out of the girl's toilet. She had changed from her form-fitting biker suit into her school uniform, which consisted of a black pleated skirt and white shirt. The uniform should have been completed with a black tie and blazer, but Natsuki wore a grey sweatshirt over her shirt instead. The student council had hounded her about this for the longest time; but they eventually decided that they had better things to do than to go after a student who _simply could not be bothered_.

"Let's go." Natsuki jerked her thumb towards the classrooms. Nao grinned.

* * *

"Welcome to the third year of High School. My name is Sakomizu Kaiji, and I am your homeroom teacher this year," the portly man paused and ran his hand through his frizzy hair, "as you are well aware, you will be having your entrance exams at the end of this year, so I expect all of you to work hard."

Soft groans could be heard from different parts of the classroom. Natsuki, however, was not paying any attention to this. She stared out of the window to her left, a decidedly bored expression on her face.

"Psst! Kuga!"

Natsuki frowned. She turned to her head around to glare at the girl seated behind her. Chie Harada simply grinned in response and leaned further forward. "Did you hear? There's gonna be a new student today!"

"No I did not," Natsuki stated bluntly. _Seriously, some people get excited over the most inane things…_ She then turned around to continue staring out of the window.

"Kuga!" Chie whispered urgently again.

"What?" Natsuki was getting really annoyed. Her voice was louder such that even Nao, who was a few seats diagonally to the front, turned to look at her curiously.

"I hope that the new girl's cute!" Chie said happily.

"What… how in the world do you even- " Natsuki's outburst was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the classroom door.

"Please excuse my lateness Sakomizu-sensei." Natsuki froze. _That voice…?_ She spun her head around to look at the newcomer.

"I am afraid that I lost my way around the school grounds," the voice continued in an apologetic manner.

Sakomizu, who was momentarily stunned by the sight of the newcomer striding into the classroom, cleared his throat nervously. "It…It's alright. Cla…class, please meet your new classmate."

"Hello. My name is Shizuru Fujino. Please take care of me in the future," the newcomer said politely with a charming smile on her face and bowed.

There was a collective gasp in the classroom. The students were entranced by the sight before them. Shizuru was dressed smartly in her school uniform, her clothes perfectly ironed and crisp, and her tie hanging neatly in front of her shirt. The black blazer showed off her slim silhouette. _Looks like Natsuki has a serious competitor_, even Nao could not help but wonder.

Natsuki was gaping at Shizuru for a very different reason. She was having great difficulty forming coherent thoughts in her head. _She…she…_ Her heart started beating rapidly and cold sweat formed on her palms.

Shizuru glanced quickly around the room. There was a flash of bewilderment in her crimson eyes as she met emerald ones. Natsuki involuntarily gripped her the side of her neck when she saw Shizuru looking at her. All colour drained out of her face and she trembled slightly. Shizuru's expression changed to one of amusement.

"Oh. My. God. She's freaking gorgeous!" Chie could hardly contain the excitement in her voice.

Natsuki clenched her fists as she tried to get a hold on herself. _This must be a dream… no, a nightmare…_

_

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A/N: Well there you go. The first chapter. I hope that the first scene wasn't too much for T rating; I'll gladly change it if otherwise (although I'm probably not gonna go any further in future chapters... for the time being.)

Please review, so that I would know whether I should continue writing this or focus on my work. It takes a surprisingly long time to create a short chapter :P Here's wishing all readers a happy holidays! _  
_


	2. Chapter 2: Hunt

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

A/N: I am extremely delighted by the encouraging response to my first fiction. A big thank you to those who had taken the time to leave a comment/review. This piece is for you :)

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**Chapter 2: Hunt**

The man ran his hand through his slightly greasy, tousled hair as he stood up from his seat. "Catch you later, Kurou," he said as he slammed a few notes on the bar counter.

"See you, Ryo," a voice slurred in response.

Ryo swayed a little as he stumbled out of the pub into the night. His skin prickled as it came into contact with the chilly air. He could briefly hear his companions' boisterous laughter before the door closed, leaving him to the deathly silence of his surroundings. "Rowdy bastards", he mumbled with a grin.

The dark-haired man steadied himself and turned towards the alley on the right of the pub. He rubbed his pale face tiredly to clear his vision as he continued his way down the alley. Out of the blue, however, a wave of nausea hit him and he emptied the contents of his stomach while his hands supported his weight against the wall.

As Ryo pushed himself slowly away from the wall and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. He turned instinctively to see three figures standing a short distance before him.

_What the hell_, Ryo thought as he blinked, _it isn't fucking Halloween is it? _He could vaguely make out that the figures were shrouded in long, dark hooded cloaks which obscured their faces. Ryo's unease grew as the trio eyed him wordlessly. Then he saw the cables they held in their gloved hands.

He spun around and tried to take off, but he barely moved a few meters before something yanked him backwards through the air.

Ryo fell hard on the ground and cursed. He was struggling to get up when he found that he was surrounded by the trio. The assailants worked deftly to wind the cable around him, crushing his arms against his sides. His skin burned. Ryo's scream was swiftly muffled as a piece of cloth was used to gag his mouth. He twisted in agony as someone kicked him from behind, causing his knees to buckle.

_Oh no, please no… _Ryo thought frantically as his head was forcibly pulled backwards. The hooded figure leaned close to his ears and murmured.

His eyes widened as a shiny blade was stabbed into the back of his neck.

* * *

_Damn it damn it damn it. _Natsuki was feeling extremely agitated. She had been fighting the deep urge to run out of the classroom for the last couple of hours. As luck would have it, Sakomizu had asked Shizuru to take the empty seat right beside Natsuki's. The crimson-eyed girl had nodded with a small smile and walked towards her seat. Natsuki felt an involuntary shudder as Shizuru passed her desk before settling gracefully in her chair. _I hate you Sakomizu_. Natsuki growled under her breath.

The truth was, Natsuki was terrified. Despite witnessing the marks on her wrists and neck in the morning, she was convinced that she merely had a very bad dream. _The whole thing_, she had told herself, _is plainly ridiculous. It's crazy. There's no such thing as…as…va-vampires._ Natsuki made sure that her sweatshirt was long enough to cover her wrists so as to avoid unnecessary questions. She was glad to discover that the marks on her neck, which were tiny to begin with, were fading at a surprisingly rapid rate. But now, she was faced with the protagonist of her so-called nightmare. At close proximity.

Natsuki tried her best not to look at Shizuru. She successfully restrained herself for a full minute before stealing a peek from the corner of her eye, where she could tell that the girl appeared to be completely at ease. _Why is she here? Is she coming after me? _Natsuki fidgeted with her pen. _And aren't vampires afraid of sunlight…? _Eventually she made up her mind to confront the girl at the soonest opportunity. In broad daylight, of course.

Natsuki allowed herself a few more furtive glances at her neighbour as she tapped her foot nervously. Shizuru was listening to the lesson with rapt attention. When time passed and Shizuru remained focused on Sakomizu, Natsuki grew bolder. Her eyes darted between the chalkboard and the girl every now and then, and her gazes became longer and more intense.

She was observing Shizuru's pale yet luminous complexion when the latter swiveled her eyeballs to look at her.

Natsuki was so taken aback that she jerked to her left. She let out a squeak as her chair tipped dangerously to the side before she shifted her weight to balance it. The legs of the chair were jolted back to the ground with a loud thud.

All eyes were on her. Natsuki tried to counter the burning sensation in her cheeks by turning away to glare out of the window. But not before she caught a glimpse of mirth-filled crimson eyes.

_Kids_, Sakomizu thought as he huffed.

...

"That's it for today. Class dismissed," Yukariko Sanada said as she stacked her teaching materials neatly. A buzz went around the school as students from various classes got up from their seats for lunch break.

Natsuki, who had been relatively calm for the last fifteen minutes, broke out in cold sweat once again. _C'mon Kuga, this is your chance. _She willed herself to stand up and speak to Shizuru. To her surprise, however, Shizuru had gotten up quickly from her seat and strode out of the classroom, leaving behind a trail of disappointed faces.

"Crap. I was hoping to chat her up." Chie mumbled.

"Kuga! Oi! Oiiiiiiiiii!"

"Huh? What?" Natsuki snapped her head in the direction of the voice, looking rather distressed.

"What the hell is wrong with you? It's lunchtime, let's go!" Nao said with a slight frown. She then turned and walked out of the classroom. Natsuki hesitated for a moment before hurrying after her.

* * *

Shizuru had a small smile on her face as she walked along the crowded corridor, her gaze flicking over her surroundings. _This place still looks the same..._ _How long has it been? Twenty years? _She tried to hold back a chuckle. _Twenty years and it still looks the same, I'm not sure whether this is good or bad…_

The school was already humming with news of a certain crimson-eyed beauty who bedazzled anyone who laid eyes on her. Shizuru noticed the ardent looks being thrown her way but continued to march briskly ahead. _I'm not in the mood to be mobbed today. _She let out a small sigh.

Shizuru hurried down the stairs and strode across the courtyard. Her face broke into a winsome smile when she caught sight of the baroque-style fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Her smile widened when she saw the familiar figure standing next to the fountain.

"Haruka-chan!" Shizuru called cheerily.

The figure squirmed a little before turning around to face Shizuru.

"You! You are back!" Haruka's voice boomed, a look of astonishment on her face.

Shizuru swiftly crossed the distance between them and stood in front of Haruka. "Ara, why is Haruka-chan so shocked to see me?" Shizuru grinned.

"Shi…Shizuru! I told you not to call me that!"

"Ara…if Haruka prefers that I call you 'my darling' just say so. There's no need to shout."

"Damn bubuzuke!" Haruka turned to the girl whom she was speaking to before Shizuru's interruption. The girl, who had blushed upon seeing Shizuru, turned scarlet on hearing the exchange between the two. "Err…I…I'll excuse myself then, kaichou-san," the girl managed to mumble before stealing one last glance at Shizuru and running off.

"Haruka is the kaichou?" Shizuru could barely contain her laughter.

"What's so funny about this bubuzuke?" Haruka glared at Shizuru.

"No...nothing. It…it…it's just…I'm surprised that we're not being made to wear army uniforms and sleep in tents." Shizuru said as she held on to her tummy, which was aching from laughter. _Or march from sunrise to sunset. _

"Bubuzuke! It is of utmost importance to instill discipline in young people," Haruka said in all seriousness. She then lowered her voice. "Why are you back?"

Shizuru folded her arms and tilted her head a little to the side. "Haruka, you sound like you are not happy that I'm back."

"Of course not, I'm very delighted to see you again old friend," Haruka said with an earnest smile.

Shizuru smiled back warmly. "Shukun-sama had summoned me back to Fuuka. As for the reason…" Shizuru's voice trailed off.

Haruka raised her eyebrows. "Well then. But it is quite strange that I have not been informed of your return, even though I haven't been back to the place for sometime."

"Strange indeed. Especially when the others appeared to be fully _prepared _to welcome me." Shizuru grimaced as she recalled the events of the previous night. And the girl with emerald eyes.

Shizuru saw the questioning look on Haruka's face and shrugged. "Long story. I'll explain later."

"Alright. I will be returning at the end of the month, so we will catch up then?" Haruka placed one hand on Shizuru's shoulder.

"Of course. I look forward to it," Shizuru replied.

"Until then," Haruka said as she walked in the direction of the administrative building.

_Now, now, _Shizuru thought as she watched Haruka's retreating back, _how should I spend my lunchtime?_ _Ah, of course_. She smiled before heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Natsuki? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Natsuki?" A hand landed on her shoulder and shook her.

"Huh? Wh…what? What?" Natsuki looked at the girl with short orange hair, a startled expression on her face.

"There's seriously something wrong with her, Mai. She's been in a daze since morning," Nao said as she munched on her onigiri, "this is the first time that she is stupid _and _dumb at the same time."

"Nao…" Natsuki growled as she glared at the redhead. Nao promptly smirked in reply.

"Well, Natsuki… Nao is right. You are really out of it today," Mai said evenly. A victorious smile lit up Nao's face. "On the other hand, Nao, there isn't really a difference between 'stupid' and 'dumb' right?"

"Mai!" Natsuki and Nao cried. They then threw each other a disgusted look, folded their arms and turned to face away from each other – in perfect unison.

Mai giggled as she shook her head at the spectacle before her.

As Natsuki sat cross-legged on the picnic mat, her thoughts drifted back to the girl with crimson eyes. Her brows were furrowed as she tried to make sense of the madness. _Should I tell someone about this? _Natsuki wondered as she peeked at Mai and Nao from the corner of her eye. Mai was enjoying her homemade bento while Nao was still chewing on her onigiri. _No. They will just think that I am crazy. Especially when the marks on my neck are gone. _Which Natsuki was actually very thankful for. At least she had stopped having that horrible feeling in her stomach whenever she imagined her life being sucked out of her. _By a really really big mosquito. _Natsuki shuddered.

"Natsuki? Lunchtime's over," Mai gently prodded Natsuki's arm. She did not want the girl to freak out again.

"Huh… okay then. Thanks Mai," Natsuki said as she handed back her bento box to Mai. The latter frowned when she saw that the food had hardly been touched. Upon seeing the look on Mai's face, Natsuki quickly added, "I don't really have an appetite today, Mai. Err…maybe because it's that time of the month."

Mai looked as if she just had an epiphany. "Oh dear, no wonder you look so pale. Go home and rest once school is out okay?"

Natsuki nodded as she stood up and brushed her uniform. "I will. See you later Mai." _When in doubt, blame it on the time of the month. _She turned and strode towards the classrooms.

"Oi! Kuga! Wait for me!" Nao stuffed the remaining onigiri into her mouth and scrambled after Natsuki.

"For goodness sake, Nao, why the hell do you take so long to eat one onigiri?"

"Ith ga dird awn dehmit!"

Mai hummed a cheerful tune while she packed up the picnic mat and the bento boxes. She was, unfortunately, oblivious to the fact that a lone figure was crouching behind the nearby bushes, staring intently at her dark-haired friend as she left the garden.

* * *

A/N: shukun-sama = lord/master

My apologies for the somewhat clumsy language. I have all these scenes in my head, but it's quite a different matter trying to translate them into sentences (excuses, excuses...)

Once again, please make my day by leaving a comment/review. I promise to update - a longer chapter - if you do :)


	3. Chapter 3: Shadows

Dear readers,

I have received some feedback that Chap 3 sometimes does a disappearing act. I have not removed the document, perhaps there are some issues with the website. So I am re-uploading it now in the hope that it solves the problem. Well, if you are reading this message, then it has :)

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**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

A/N: In case you were wondering, the person who was spying on Natsuki at the last scene of Chapter 2 is not Shizuru. As for who the mystery person is... well he/she will remain a mystery for the time being :P

Thanks to all those who have been kind enough to leave a comment/review. As promised, here is the latest installment. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 3: Shadows**

Natsuki did not know where she was. She was surrounded by rows and rows of houses that seemed to stretch infinitely in all directions. And she was alone.

The wind was blowing, she knew, as the tree branches were gently swaying. She looked up and squeezed her eyes shut when they met the dazzling rays of the midday sun.

But she felt nothing. Heard nothing. No warmth, no sound. The world was displayed in shades of grey. It was as if she was trapped in a silent movie.

An unexplainable urge compelled Natsuki to wander down the gently sloping path, her feet falling noiselessly on the ground. She would have walked on endlessly had she not caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. She instinctively hurried ahead, but when she came round the bend the figure had vanished.

Natsuki quickly surveyed the area. For the briefest moment she saw the same figure pass the intersection on her right. Panic swelled in her heart as she sprinted as fast as she could. Once more, she was disappointed, but another flash of white down the road promptly sent her in pursuit again.

And so, like a game of hide-and-seek, Natsuki continued to chase after the elusive phantom, driven by a growing sense of desperation.

Finally, she found the one she was looking for. The girl stood motionless at the end of the alley, the fine strands of her hair carried aloft by the breeze that Natsuki could not feel.

Natsuki felt mixed emotions as she regarded the girl before her. She wanted the person to turn around. _Turn around and look at me_, she pleaded in her head. But a part of her did not wish to see the girl's face. The part that was filled with fear, or even dread at what she would find.

Helplessly she looked on, taking in every single detail as the girl turned. The slight tilting of her right shoulder. The gentle movement of her pleated skirt. The long, slender fingers that held on to her blazer.

In this grey universe, the only colour that Natsuki could see was in the girl's crimson eyes. _Like embers in the dark_, Natsuki thought as she stood stockstill, completely entranced by the sight. She could not tear her gaze away even as the twin embers glowed brighter and brighter, until the fire engulfed her entire vision.

Natsuki opened her eyes. Her chest was gently heaving while her face glistened with sweat. She turned to look at the clock. _4.24 am. Damn it. _At that very instant the contents of her dream vanished into the deep recesses of her mind, together with the image of the flaming crimson eyes.

* * *

"Umm...Umm...Ku...Kuga-San…"

Natsuki's body stiffened when she heard the familiar voice. _Not again_, she thought as she exhaled through her nose. She turned her head around grudgingly to face the boy with spiky black hair.

"Ah...I...ah…good morning" the boy finished lamely.

Natsuki narrowed her eyes before stalking away.

"That was real smooth, Takeda-kun," the petite girl sniggered as she flipped her teal coloured hair behind her shoulder.

"Shut up!" Takeda's face was burning with embarrassment.

"Seriously, I don't know what you see in her. Sure she looks above average, but her personality sucks."

Takeda rubbed the scar under his left eye wearily. "That's absolutely untrue, Tomoe. Natsuki-san is different from the other girls. And that's why I like her."

"Or maybe you are just a masochist," Tomoe said as she rolled her eyes. "Anyway you are not going to get anywhere with her if you don't even dare to call her by her first name. And I mean _in front of her_."

As Takeda was unable to find a suitable rebuttal, he decided to glare at Tomoe in response. The latter snickered.

"You wait, Tomoe. Wait till you fall in love! Then I'll be the one laughing!"

"Geez Takeda-kun. Like that's gonna happen anytime soon. I'm not superficial like you; I don't fall in love based on the person's looks."

"I'm not just in love with Natsuki-san's face!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're in love with her body as well."

Takeda turned an incredible shade of red. In spite of her amusement, Tomoe felt a little worried as she pondered the likelihood of her friend collapsing from high blood pressure.

She was about to tease Takeda further when her ears pricked at the sound of raucous laughter drifting through the corridors. "You go on ahead first, Takeda-kun," she said as she hurried in the direction of the commotion.

* * *

"You look awful, Kuga," the red-head remarked, "well, worse than you already look anyway".

Natsuki growled as she pulled her grey sweatshirt over her head. "_Very funny_, Nao."

"Oh, grouchy aren't we this morning?" Nao responded airily.

"I had less than 5 hours of sleep last night so don't push it," Natsuki said irritably as she stuffed her biker suit into her bag. The day had not started well at all for Natsuki. First she had been startled awake at a godforsaken hour, only to toss and turn in her bed until she gave up trying to go back to sleep. Then she had to run into that kendo-fanatic whose idea of a "good morning" was to ogle at her creepily. _And now this_.

Nao, for all her acerbic remarks, was fully aware of what an incensed animal waiting to pounce looked like. She decided that she valued her life more than getting the last word in. "Ahem," Nao cleared her throat nervously, "anyway, I'm here to let you know that we won't be getting any lunch today. Mai is not coming to school."

Natsuki's ticking time bomb was temporarily defused. She raised her eyebrows.

"Well you know, now that it's spring, the shrine is getting a lot more visitors," Nao continued evenly. That's right. Other than being a model student and a great cook, Mai was also the chief miko of one of the oldest and most revered shrines in Fuuka.

"I'll just grab something from the dining hall later," Natsuki mumbled. She then remembered something.

"How's your okaasan, Nao? Better?"

It was the red-head's turn to scowl. "Okay I guess. She insists on going to work at that crappy place even though she still gets coughing fits every now and then." Nao huffed. "I wish she would just let me get a part-time job."

"She wants you to concentrate on your studies."

"I know, I know, but…" Nao waved her hand dismissively. "Ah, whatever. I just want to graduate soon so that she doesn't have to work so hard."

A rare smile graced Natsuki's face. There was no need for further words as the two turned and made their way to their classroom.

* * *

"Ooh. Look who's here."

"What's her name? I forgot."

"Well, that's cause you don't have a large enough mammary!"

"Geddit? M-emo-ry. Mam-ma-ry!" the boy guffawed as he elbowed his friend.

The girl with platinum blonde hair clutched her books tighter, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground as the group of boys burst out in laughter. She was subject to constant heckling due to her larger than average assets. Today was no different.

_I hate this I hate this. _

"Hey, why so glum? Come and have a chat with us," one boy grabbed her arm while another blocked her way. "We don't bite you know," the boy sneered. She struggled to get free.

_Why does this have to happen to me…? _

"Let her go you idiots," the girl with teal coloured hair snarled at the bunch of sniggering boys.

The grip loosened for a split second and the blonde pushed her way past the crowd.

"Ers...? Hey wait up!" Tomoe shouted as Erstin sprinted away.

* * *

The crimson-eyed girl had tied some of her hair up with a brown rubber band, leaving the rest to fall gracefully on her shoulders. Her copperish blonde locks shimmered in the morning sun.

_I'm not a morning person. In all sense of the word._ Shizuru stifled a yawn. Her navy blue bag was slung across her chest as she sauntered towards the school gate, her hands tucked snugly in the pockets of her black blazer.

"Hey, look, isn't that the new girl?"

"Wow..."

"...I heard her name is Shizuru Fujino?"

"...I hardly see her in school..."

Shizuru was not oblivious to the attention she was attracting, but having been in existence for a long time meant that she had more than sufficient practice in tuning out the distracting chatter around her. The fact that the clogs in her brain were still struggling to get up to speed also helped.

Although the students were practically bursting with curiousity, no one dared to approach Shizuru. There was just something about her that held them back. It was not the same feeling as they got from the ice beauty, who kept her admirers at bay with her frosty glares. No, the crimson-eyed girl just seemed so…unreachable.

As Shizuru made her way up the stairs, she discerned the sound of hurried footsteps approaching her. She was about to take the next step when there was a flash of platinum blonde accompanied by a high-pitched shriek.

The students around the area snapped their heads in the direction of the sound, eyes widening as they expected the two girls to tumble down the stairs. To their surprise, Shizuru somehow managed to step to the side and grab the railings with her left hand, while wrapping her right around the blonde's waist to prevent the latter from falling. A disaster was averted. The spectators collectively released the breath that they were holding.

Erstin was flabbergasted. She had been running blindly along the corridor to escape from her tormentors. In her frenzy to descend the stairs, however, she tripped and fell forwards. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she saw the ground rise up before her, followed by a pair of crimson eyes. The next thing she knew a strong arm had grabbed her around the waist and hauled her to safety.

"Are you alright?" Shizuru enquired as she gently released Erstin from her embrace. She raised her eyebrows when the girl remained silent. "Hello?" Shizuru tried again. She could see that the girl was trembling and her aquamarine eyes were moist with tears. _But she does not seem to be injured...?_ Shizuru was perplexed.

The blonde was in shock as her mind tried to digest what had happened in the last ten seconds. Her eyes widened as she stared at the beautiful sight before her. "An angel…" she eventually mumbled.

"Ara, thank you but I'm not," Shizuru said with a chuckle. "You okay?"

Erstin finally reconnected with reality and she frantically stepped away. "YES I AM OKAY!" She winced immediately. She had spoken far, far too loudly.

"Erstin! Are you okay?" Tomoe shouted as she bounded down the stairs. She, too, had only just recovered from witnessing Shizuru's incredible maneuver.

Erstin turned towards the voice. "Yes Tomoe-chan. I'm alright," she said a little breathlessly.

Tomoe breathed a sigh of relief before her eyes drifted towards Erstin's saviour. Her heartbeat accelerated and her cheeks reddened when she met Shizuru's curious gaze. The crimson-eyed girl chuckled again.

"Well then, ah, Erstin-san, I shall make a move now," Shizuru said as she flashed a charming smile at Erstin and Tomoe. The two girls stared dumbstruck as Shizuru continued ascending the stairs.

The only thought that Tomoe had in her mind was that she had fallen in love.

* * *

The Fuuka High School building hummed with activity as the students made their way to their respective classrooms for the first lesson of the day.

Polite and impolite greetings were exchanged as they milled about between seats. Some students wore the look of utter concentration as they scrambled to copy notes (and assignments) from their friends. Some were gathered around in small groups as they enthusiastically traded the latest gossips. Still others preferred to remain in their places, to read, sleep or even stare at nothing in particular as the second hand of the clock ticked by.

Natsuki twirled her pen around her finger as she glanced at the empty seat beside her. Her mind was far from the mindless chatter that floated around her. _She's not coming, is she? _Natsuki pondered as she turned to stare out of the window, her brows deeply furrowed. _Shizuru Fujino… Who are you? What are you? _

Natsuki was feeling extremely vexed about the whole situation. Shizuru had not spoken a word to her since the beginning of the school term. In fact, Shizuru hardly conversed with anyone in class. She would disappear during lunchtime and vanish as quickly when the school bell rang at the end of day. No one knew where she studied at prior to transferring to Fuuka, and no one knew where she lived.

All in all, it would be an understatement to say that the crimson-eyed girl was an enigma.

In addition, other than the unfortunate incident where Natsuki nearly toppled off her chair, Shizuru behaved as if the former was non-existent. Much as Natsuki hated to admit it, this annoyed Natsuki more than the fact that Shizuru may have had done something unthinkable to her.

"Hey, Kuga."

Natsuki pretended that she did not hear the voice and continued to stare sulkily out of the window.

"Kuga? Kuga! Kuuuugggggggggggggaaaaaaa!"

"What?" Natsuki barked as she spun around in her seat angrily.

Chie gave an innocent smile. "Say Kuga, where do you think Shizuru-san goes during lunchtime?"

The question caught Natsuki off-guard. "How on earth would I know?" she said gruffly.

"She's really mysterious, isn't she? I mean, three weeks have passed and she has only attended class a grand total of _seven_ times," Chie displayed seven fingers to emphasise her point, "and I hear that she's never, ever, seen around during lunchtime."

_Well somebody has been keeping track, _Natsuki thought as she stared impassively at Chie, her arms folded across her chest. "So?"

"So, you know, I am actually quite tempted to follow her and see where she goes," Chie continued brightly.

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "Well why don't you then?"

Chie leaned forward in her seat so suddenly that Natsuki was taken aback. "Do you know Arika-san from Class 2B?"

"A…Arika-san? You mean Arika Yumemiya?" Natsuki frowned. Even though she was not in the least interested in school gossip, it was impossible to not have heard of the hyperactive girl who was also known as the most persistent stalker ever to study in Fuuka High School. Natsuki was grateful that Arika seemed to have an eye for fair-haired beauties only.

Chie nodded happily. She was rather pleased to be finally holding a decent conversation with Natsuki. _Okay, half decent as we haven't said more than ten sentences_."So I assume you know of her reputation?" It was Natsuki's turn to nod.

"Well, I hear that Arika-san had taken an instant _liking_ to Shizuru-san," Chie said in a low voice. Natsuki was not at all surprised at the news. The crimson-eyed girl may not be aware, but the mysterious aura she exuded further fueled the flames of idolatry currently burning up the campus. Natsuki had long lost count of the numerous "SF fan clubs" that sprouted up like mushrooms after the rain.

"Needless to say, Arika-san felt the need to find out what Shizuru-san is doing during lunchtime…" Chie voice drifted off as she smiled impishly.

"And?" Natsuki, who by this time was sitting with the backrest of her chair in front of her, pressed forward with her hands clutching the top of the backrest.

Chie continued smiling as she noted that Natsuki was unusually inquisitive. "She failed."

"What?" Natsuki, who had been eagerly anticipating the answer to the puzzle, felt sorely disappointed. _How is it possible that Arika Yumemiya, aka The Stalker, had failed in her mission?_

Chie saw the look on Natsuki's face and shook her head. "I couldn't believe it at first too. But according to Arika-san, the furthest she was able to follow Shizuru-san was down the stairs to the courtyard. Shizuru-san would always be gone by the time Arika-san reached the ground floor."

"It's kinda freaky huh?" Chie remarked as Natsuki felt a headache coming on.

The two became aware of the sudden hush that spread through the classroom. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the door, where a slender figure had just entered. Natsuki felt her heartbeat quicken a little as she took in the girl's appearance, unwittingly drawn to her creamy skin, ruby red eyes, and delicate lips. The latter strode across the room in her trademark debonair manner, a genial smile plastered on her face.

"Speak of the devil!" Chie whispered.

_Exactly_, Natsuki thought.

* * *

"I'm leaving," Natsuki said as she picked up her bag and swung it round her shoulder.

"Alright. Stay safe, girl," a voice answered gruffly.

It has been another long day for Natsuki. She stretched her neck as she walked out of the workshop, her helmet in one hand. She glanced at her watch. _10.40 pm. I just wanna have a nice shower and sleep_, Natsuki thought as she crossed the narrow street to get to her Ducati.

Natsuki was about to put on her helmet when she spotted a certain individual across the road.

_What is she doing here? _Natsuki wondered with a slight frown. The workshop which Natsuki was working at was situated within the First District, which was merely a polite name for the most sleazy area in Fuuka. All sorts of unsavory characters lurked in the neighbourhood, and the only reason why Natsuki was willing to work there was due to the workshop's relatively decent pay and the fact that its boss was willing to hire a teenage girl as a mechanic.

Shizuru was walking on the other side of the road. Natsuki could see that she was dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a buttoned up maroon shirt and a white hooded sweater. Her eyes were busy scanning the signboards of the shops on both sides of the road as she walked. Natsuki instinctively got off her bike and stepped into the shadows so that Shizuru will not see her. _Kuga you idiot, _she mentally scolded herself when she realized what she was doing.

Natsuki continued to observe Shizuru from her hidden spot. The crimson-eyed girl was causing quite a bit of a stir as she strode along the sidewalk. Those who passed her turned their heads to take a second look, and some even stopped in their tracks altogether to ogle at her. Shizuru, however, appeared to be totally unfazed by the attention and just continued on her way calmly. The furrows on Natsuki's brows grew deeper.

_That woman's just asking for trouble walking around alone like that_, Natsuki thought. As if to prove the veracity of her words, a gangly-looking man approached Shizuru. A crooked smile broke out on his face as he spoke to her. _Why the hell is she talking to him? _Natsuki squinted in a bid to make out what he was saying based on the movement of his lips. It was no good as it turned out that she had zero talent in lip-reading.

The man suddenly leaned close to Shizuru as if to whisper in her ear. "Eew," Natsuki murmured as she decided that the man looked like a toad. The tingling feeling in her body told her that the toad was up to no good, and she was perturbed that Shizuru did not make any move to push him away.

Natsuki told herself that she should just quit being a busybody and go home. But for some odd reason, her body refused to obey her command and stood rooted to the ground. _It's none of your business, Kuga. _Natsuki thought as she tried to convince herself to leave._ Anyway, she can probably take care of herself. I mean, she's a freaking vampire!_ A small voice in Natsuki's head however added that Natsuki had _not _verified that Shizuru was a vampire, given that she had _not_ managed to utter a word to the latter since the first day of school.

"Ugh…" Natsuki growled in frustration. Just then she saw that the man had put his arm around Shizuru's shoulder and was walking with her towards an alley. _No way, she likes the toad? Or maybe she knows him? _Natsuki narrowed her eyes. _Kuga you are an idiot. It's none of your business and you should just get home before you get into trouble. _With that, she got on her bike and started the engine.

* * *

_Rorschach, Rorschach… _Shizuru thought to herself as she scrutinized the signboards of the shops along the road. She had been told that the pub was somewhere in the First District but the exact address was unknown. "They should really give me better directions; this place seems pretty big," she grumbled under her breath as she traveled along the sidewalk.

_Well, First District certainly wasn't so, err, 'glitzy' in the past_,Shizuru mused as she held back a grin. She was surrounded by flashing neon lights which lit up the area to an unnatural brightness. Thumping music spilled out into the night from the some of the shops, which windows were tinted such that one could not see their interior. Men in suits and scantily clad women were scattered along the sidewalk; chain-smoking, chatting, people-watching or doing all of the above.

Shizuru tried her best to avoid any eye contact, but it proved to be a rather difficult task as everyone's eyeballs appeared to be plastered on her. She let out a small sigh as she carried on scrutinizing the many signboards. _Let's just get this over and done with._

"Hi there," a lanky man dressed in a white shirt and black trousers appeared out of nowhere and stood in her way. He seemed to be in his twenties, and instantly reminded her of a toad. She could smell the faint alcohol lingering on his breath. "You look like you're lost. Need some help?" The toad flashed a cocky grin.

"Ara, yes I am looking for a place. It's called Rorschach," Shizuru said as she put on a small smile.

"Oh Rorschach!" the toad said happily, "I know where it is. Why don't I take you there?"

"That's very kind of you, but I'll be fine if you could just point out to me where it is."

The toad took a step forward and leaned close to Shizuru. "It's better if I take you there," he whispered into Shizuru's ear. She felt something sharp pressing against her abdomen. Shizuru raised her eyebrows. The toad hastily positioned himself behind Shizuru such that his left arm was around Shizuru's shoulders while his right hand continued to point the weapon at Shizuru's back. He nudged her forward and Shizuru complied silently.

The two trudged for a short distance down the sidewalk before turning into a deserted alley. They traveled deeper and deeper into the alley, the toad keeping the weapon pressed against Shizuru's back at all times. When they finally reached the end of the alley, two burly men emerged from the shadows with sinister smiles on their faces.

The toad turned Shizuru around and pushed her roughly against the wall. He then immediately flattened himself on her, one hand beside her head and the other holding a switchblade against her neck. His eyes were gleaming with malice as he pressed the switchblade against her skin. "I'll cut you if you scream," he hissed. Shizuru glanced at the knife and at the toad, her face expressionless.

"There's no one here to save you anyway, so I suggest that you do as we say," the toad continued as he pressed his face close to Shizuru's ear, taking in the intoxicating scent of her skin. He was aching to get his hands on the crimson-eyed beauty in front of him. The other two men stood behind him with arms folded, smirking as they waited to enjoy the show.

What they did not see, however, was the grin that had begun to form on Shizuru's face.

"Let her go!" The shout was followed by the sound of running footsteps. Shizuru raised her eyebrows in surprise as she saw the dark haired girl thundering down the alley.

Natsuki Kuga stopped a few feet away from them, slightly panting from her exertion.

The toad pushed himself off Shizuru and leered at Natsuki from head to toe. His initial shock dissipated into a lecherous grin. "Another hot chick. How lucky we are tonight, boys," he sneered. "Get her!"

At his command, the two burly men charged towards Natsuki. Natsuki swung her helmet to the right, hitting the first man squarely on the head. She then slammed her left elbow into the second man's stomach, causing him to double up in pain. This was followed by a hard kick in the groin which sent him crashing to the ground.

The first man, whose head was bloodied, got up from the ground and lunged at Natsuki with a roar. Natsuki ducked to the left, and slammed her helmet into the man's back. The man fell flat on the ground and groaned in pain.

Shizuru leaned against the wall, an amused expression on her face as she watched the dark haired girl beat up the two grown men.

"You bitch!" the toad, who had been astonished at the damage Natsuki was causing, yelled as he ran towards Natsuki with his switchblade in hand. Natsuki quickly readied herself for his attack. The toad thrust the switchblade at Natsuki, who swung her helmet against his forearm. There was a loud crack. The toad screamed in pain as he dropped the switchblade and clutched his injured arm. Natsuki threw her helmet to the side. In one swift movement, Natsuki grabbed the toad's injured arm and twisted it around her shoulder. The toad was lifted through the air as he was flipped over Natsuki's shoulder and fell with a resounding thud on the ground.

Natsuki then dashed towards the crimson-eyed girl and grabbed her arm. Shizuru's eyes widened in bewilderment. "Run!" Natsuki yelled as she pulled Shizuru along, running past the men who were still lying on the ground groaning.

The two ran for several blocks before Natsuki finally stopped. She was bent over as she desperately tried to catch her breath, placing one hand on her knee and the other against the wall for support. "You… you…" her heart was racing.

Other than the fact that her skin was slightly glistening with sweat, there was no sign that Shizuru had just sprinted for a good number of minutes. She smiled as she patiently waited for the dark haired girl to string a proper sentence together.

Natsuki's panting finally eased. "You alright?" she said as she wiped the sweat off her brows.

"Yes I am," Shizuru said with a warm smile.

_Damn it. I look more pathetic than she does. _Natsuki cursed silently.

"Why the hell did you follow that guy for?" she said rather angrily. Natsuki had made up her mind not to interfere in the matter and was all ready to leave on her bike. But as the clock ticked by her uneasiness grew, and she ended up chasing after the crimson-eyed girl into the alley.

"Ara, I couldn't help it. The man pointed a switchblade at me," Shizuru said as she shrugged nonchalantly.

Natsuki was not expecting the revelation but she did not show it. "Anyway," she said loudly, "what are you thinking walking alone in this area like that? You draw too much attention to yourself!"

Shizuru was momentarily stunned. She looked at Natsuki, noting her piercing emerald eyes, porcelain skin and sensuous lips. The dark haired girl was dressed in a form-fitting biker suit that showed off every inch of her slender curves. _I wonder who's attracting more attention? _She mused as she raised one eyebrow.

Natsuki squirmed a little under Shizuru's gaze. "What?" she barked. _It's like she's checking me out… _She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

_Oh? How curious, _Shizuru thought as she saw a blush appear on Natsuki's face. _She likes to talk tough but is actually rather shy… that's quite adorable… _Shizuru could not help but smile.

"Wh… what?" Natsuki asked again, albeit in a slightly shaky voice. She instinctively turned her body sideways as if to hide from Shizuru's scrutiny.

"Ara, nothing," Shizuru said smoothly, "Kuga-san right? Thank you very much for saving me just now." She gave a polite bow.

Natsuki's face reddened further and she scratched the back of her head absentmindedly. "You… are welcome," she said as she turned her head abruptly to the side.

_Most amusing! _Shizuru thought gleefully as she tried very hard not to chuckle. Fortunately for Natsuki, Shizuru suddenly remembered her mission this evening. "Ara, Kuga-san, are you familiar with this area?" she asked.

"Eh? Well, okay I guess." Natsuki expected Shizuru to be like most people and probe further into what she was doing in First District and why, but the latter did not do so.

"Have you heard of a bar called Rorschach?"

"Rorschach? Yeah…"

"That's great!" Shizuru beamed. "Do you know where it is?"

_Why is she looking for Rorschach? _Natsuki pondered. _Idiot, it's none of your business right? _"Yeah I do…"

"If it's not too much trouble, could Kuga-san tell me how to get there?"

Natsuki nodded and Shizuru's smile grew even brighter.

"I'll take you there."

Shizuru was once again taken by surprise. "Ara, thank you Kuga-san, but it's getting late and I wouldn't want to trouble you further. I can make my way there myself," Shizuru said as she gave a reassuring smile.

"No. Those guys might come back for you. Or you might get into more trouble along the way," Natsuki said brusquely as she stared adamantly at the wall behind Shizuru.

_What a kindhearted girl, _Shizuru thought. She glanced at her watch, it was close to 11.30 pm. _No time to lose._ "I'll accept your kind offer then, Kuga-san, please lead the way."

* * *

Happily for the two, the journey to Rorschach was relatively uneventful. Shizuru kept silent as she strode beside Natsuki, a fact which amazed the latter. Natsuki's past experience with people was that they would also always try to make small talk, firing one mundane question after another at her when she simply did not wish to converse. But here the tables were turned. Natsuki was simply dying to ask Shizuru what she was doing in First District, but she could not bring herself to do so when the crimson-eyed girl had not bothered to interrogate her on the same.

Occasionally Natsuki would steal a glance at her companion, whose eyes would be busily scanning the area and taking in the sights. Sometimes Shizuru would catch her looking at her, and offer a gentle smile. After a few times of nearly scaring herself to death Natsuki decided to fix her sight on the road ahead.

Although Shizuru appeared to be absorbed in her surroundings, her mind was actually on the dark haired girl beside her. She was having a tough time fighting the urge to burst out in laughter. Having been stealthily observing Natsuki from the corner of her eye, Shizuru was treated to an amazing display of expressions on the girl's face. There were the eyes overflowing with curiousity, as well as the perplexed frown. Then there was also the childish sulk, and the intense glare. Not to mention the tomato-red face which threatened to explode from embarrassment and shock. _Certainly much more varied than the stony expression she always wears in school_, Shizuru noted amusedly.

Moreover, Shizuru was intrigued by the fact that the girl did not appear to be afraid of her and even tried to save her. _Perhaps she has forgotten about our little incident? But that is most unlikely_, Shizuru thought wryly. _Or maybe she's just a very forgiving person? In that case she's a rare species indeed. _Shizuru smiled to herself.

"The place is just ahead," Natsuki said as she broke the silence that had pervaded for the last fifteen minutes. Shizuru looked at where she was pointing to and saw the brightly lit signboard. The pub was a little place smacked between two larger shops, its windows tinted such that one could not see what was going on inside.

"That's fantastic. Thank you very much Kuga-san." The dark haired girl merely nodded in reply. Shizuru looked around and realized that they were not very far from where she had first started, before her journey was interrupted by the toad and his friends. _Guess my sense of direction was not failing me_, she thought to herself cheerfully.

The two soon reached the front of the pub. "Thanks again Kuga-san," Shizuru said sincerely. She expected Natsuki to take her leave but the dark haired girl remained in her position.

After a moment of fidgeting, Natsuki spoke. "I'll…go in with you."

"Ara?" Shizuru asked while quietly wondering how many more surprises she was going to get this evening.

"It's not good for a girl to go alone to a place like this."

Shizuru blinked. _Oh no, it's not good to have you in the pub with me._ "I appreciate your offer, Kuga-san, but I'll be alright. I'm meeting a friend here."

"I'll just stay until your friend comes," Natsuki said, her voice dripping with finality.

"But–" Shizuru was about to attempt to talk Natsuki out of it when her senses alerted her to an unwelcome presence. She narrowed her eyes as she cast her gaze past Natsuki and caught sight of a few suspicious figures skulking in the dark a few streets away. There appeared to be eight men in total. They quickly darted into an alley to avoid being spotted. However, thanks to Shizuru's unnaturally keen eyesight, she immediately recognized the toad and his two henchmen, one of them wearing a bandage around his head, as forming part of the group.

Shizuru frowned.

Her eyes flicked to the dark haired girl in front of her, who was wearing a questioning look on her face. "Ara, Kuga-san, I would be most grateful if you stay with me then." Shizuru flashed a smile and grabbed Natsuki's hand gently to lead her into the pub. Natsuki was a little unsettled by Shizuru's sudden change of mind but she was too distracted by the sensation of the cool skin on her arm to register it.

* * *

The pub was dimly lit and smelled of alcohol, cigarettes and something else that Shizuru could not pinpoint. It was decorated to look like an English pub, but the place looked like it was falling apart. It was sparsely populated even for a weekday night, and the patrons sat in a few tables scattered around the room. Some were sitting alone, nursing their drinks, while others sat in small groups, chatting in low voices.

The two girls garnered much attention as they stepped into the pub, not least because the pub's existing customers consisted only of the middle-aged. Their curious stares, however, were quickly deflected by the icy glares that Natsuki shot at them. _It's actually quite useful to have her around_,Shizuru mused as her eyes quickly went over the interior of the pub.

"I'll go over to the counter," Shizuru said.

Natsuki pointed to a table nearby. "I'll wait here then," she said as she made her way to the table and plopped herself carelessly on the chair.

Shizuru smiled in reply before calmly walking towards the bar counter, which was located at the farthest end of the pub. The counter was unoccupied except for a lone man who sat on the stool on the extreme left, which also happened to be the most isolated corner of the pub.

Shizuru settled herself on a bar stool a seat away from the man. She was pleased to note that her position was partially obscured from Natsuki and the rest of the customers. A bored-looking bartender reluctantly tore his gaze from the show he was watching on his rickety television set and came over. He eyed Shizuru with a disinterested expression. "Whaddya want?" he drawled.

"Ara, a Bloody Mary would be good."

The bartender raised one eyebrow. "Ya got an ID kid?"

"Not today." Shizuru smiled as she laid down a couple of bills on the table, which were more than enough to pay for the drink. The bartender took the money hesitantly. _Well, kid gets what she wants, _he thought as he chucked the bills in his pocket. Besides, there was something intimidating about her smile that he would not have dared to refuse her in any case.

The stranger on Shizuru's left appeared to not be bothered by exchange and drank from his mug, keeping his gaze focused on the shelf of drinks in front of him.

The bartender soon came back with Shizuru's drink. He placed it gingerly on counter and glanced furtively at the crimson-eyed girl before walking back to the other end of the counter to continue watching the television show. Shizuru swirled the glass around, admiring the thick red liquid as it wet the sides of the glass.

"Are you the one who sent the note?" The man finally spoke in a low voice, his eyes still looking ahead of him.

"Yes." Shizuru answered as quietly.

"Who are you?"

"Ara… I'm an old friend of Yamada's. I knew him when he was a young man."

The man tensed up. He hastily glanced to his right and instantly froze. "Fu…Fujino-sama!" he said hoarsely, his voice a notch louder than before.

Shizuru continued to observe her glass, a small smile creeping up on her face. "Nice to see you again, Yamada. But you're drawing unwanted attention."

"Ah…yes…yes…Fujino-sama," Yamada stuttered, lowering his voice at once as he jolted his gaze back to the shelf in front of him. "You…you look exactly the same," he continued in an awestruck voice.

"Yes I am afraid so," Shizuru said placidly, "and you know you can just call me Shizuru."

"Yes Fu— I mean Shizuru," Yamada said, taking a deep breath. "I thought I would never see you again."

Shizuru remained silent as she stared pensively at her reflection in the glass. "Time flies, Yamada. How's your leg?"

Yamada could not help the grin from spreading across his face. "It's much better. I owe it to you, of course."

"I'm glad." Shizuru smiled to herself as she took a sip of the red liquid in her glass.

"So, what is the reason you asked to meet me today?"

"Well, I heard that you have made a name for yourself as an informant. And I need information."

"About?" Yamada resisted the urge to turn and look at the crimson-eyed girl beside him.

"I think you know, Yamada," Shizuru said softly.

"You mean…I am afraid I will not know more than you do… After all, this is a matter which concerns your kind—" Yamada stopped himself, fearing that he had offended Shizuru.

"I am sure that you will be able to find out more than I can, given that _my kind_," the corners of Shizuru's lips twitched, "is disinclined to sharing information."

"I see, but…"

"I have already remitted your payment to your bank account. I assure you that you will find it most satisfactory."

"I don't actually have a choice, do I?" Yamada said with a resigned sigh.

"No, you don't," Shizuru said good-humouredly as she emptied the contents of the glass at one go. She turned towards Yamada and winked. "Take it as returning a favour, yes?" The crimson-eyed girl jumped off the seat and walked away from the counter, leaving the man in amused silence.

"Ara, Kuga-san, my friend will not be coming tonight," Shizuru said as she approached Natsuki's table. She then proceeded to the exit as Natsuki scrambled after her. Shizuru paused at the door for Natsuki to catch up, and the two stepped out once again into the chilly air outside. "I apologise for making you wait, Kuga-san," Shizuru said with a rueful smile. "It's okay," Natsuki said gruffly as she rubbed her arms to shake off the cold.

The dark haired girl did not know what had gotten into her. As she sat waiting in the pub, fending off the unwanted attention with her trademark glares, she contemplated the sequence of events that led her to her current situation. She had glanced at Shizuru, who was sitting at the bar with her back facing her. Her view was partially blocked by what seemed to be a decorative screen, but the girl appeared to be enjoying her red drink alone.

_This is crazy_, Natsuki had grimaced. _Why the hell did I insist on tagging along? _The logical side of Natsuki had persuaded her that she was merely doing the gallant thing, ensuring that Shizuru does not come to harm. The other side of Natsuki was however only concerned with pounding her with one sentence: _she's a vampire dammit! _Natsuki's temples throbbed as her mind fought itself for dominance. She eventually settled on the former, the fact being that Shizuru had indeed been assaulted by the toad and his friends earlier. She had no time to delve further in her thoughts as shortly thereafter Shizuru informed her that her friend was not coming.

From the corner of her eye, Shizuru could see that the men from earlier on had planted themselves closer to the pub, two streets away. _They're pretty persistent, _Shizuru mused. Her lips tugged upwards as she focused on the dark haired girl. "Would Kuga-san be so kind as to give me a ride home? It's rather late after all."

Natsuki, who was actually contemplating offering Shizuru a ride home, gaped in disbelief. "How do you know that I rode my bike here?"

"Well, it's quite apparent from what Kuga-san is wearing. Unless Kuga-san has a habit of running around in leather biker suits, of course," Shizuru said, her crimson eyes filled with mirth.

Natsuki glowered at Shizuru but the latter merely broke into a mischievous grin. "My bike is parked just a few streets down. Let's go," Natsuki said as she marched off without a second glance. Shizuru quickly caught up with her, however, her attention remained on the group of men who were hiding in the shadows. They were evidently waiting for the two to walk to a less crowded area before attacking. _Bunch of cowards_, she remarked disdainfully in her head.

They had proceeded for relatively short distance when Shizuru stopped in her tracks. "Ara, Kuga-san, I'm afraid I left my phone in the bar. Why don't I go back to get it while you get your bike?"

Natsuki raised her eyebrows. "Isn't it better if I go back with you to the pub?"

"There's no need since the pub's just a short distance from here. I'll meet you at the pub's entrance yes?" Shizuru employed her most persuasive smile.

Natsuki found it rather difficult to resist the imploring tone in Shizuru's voice. "Alright, I'll be quick then," Natsuki said as she hurried on.

Shizuru waited for Natsuki to head around the corner before checking her watch. _I have about five minutes_, she thought as she made her way back towards the pub.

* * *

The toad and his group of seven men had been waiting in an alley two streets away from the pub for the last twenty minutes. He had grown increasingly cold and impatient as he peered from behind the wall frequently to see whether the two girls were leaving the pub. However, his perseverance paid off and he saw the two girls step out of Rorschach. _Finally_, he thought as he stared daggers at the back of the dark-haired girl, _I'll get you, you stupid bitch_. He watched as the two girls make their way in the opposite direction from where he was for a couple of minutes before the crimson-eyed girl paused in her steps.

He turned around excitedly to face his men. "Get ready to move, boys. We'll get them once they turn around the corner two blocks away from Rorschach's."

The men smirked as they reached instinctively for the cold metal of the baseball bats and knives they were concealing in their jackets. The toad stared lustily at the switchblade lying in his palm. _It's payback time._

The toad was about to lead his men out of the alley when they found their way blocked by a crimson-eyed girl. _Wasn't she a few blocks away just a short while ago? _He thought as he stared dumbfounded at Shizuru. "Wait, how—how did you—?" he managed to stutter.

Shizuru approached the men slowly as she flexed her fingers and cracked her knuckles. The toad blinked in panic when he saw that the girl's eyes appeared to be set ablaze, the fiery glow most certainly unnatural. _No, I must be imagining things! _He clutched tightly to his switchblade, sweat beading rapidly on his forehead.

"So, gentlemen… shall we continue from where we left off?"

A menacing smile appeared on Shizuru's pretty pink lips.

* * *

A/N: So that's it. The longer chapter which I promised, and which turned out to be almost four times the length of the previous chapters. I spent so much time on this piece that Shizuru and Natsuki have invaded my dreams (not in a good way).

Please feel free to drop me a comment/review!

And now if you would please excuse me, I would like to collapse on my bed...


	4. Chapter 4: Evanescence

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers, including the anonymous reviewers whom I have not been able to respond to personally. I actually had to google for definition of "PWP", which shows what a newbie I am with regard to fanfiction :P

Many readers are probably wondering "where exactly is this story headed?" I must admit that I always had a rather longish story in mind, so the main plot might not be immediately apparent. I have also always intended for a heavy dose of suspense (in the beginning at least). And as you probably figured out by now, Natsuki and Shizuru are not going to fall head over heels in love any time soon. While I agree with attraction (or even lust) at first sight, I am not really a believer in love at first sight. I think that love only develops with time and interaction. So, to the readers out there who are dying to see some "action" - I am sorry! I only hope that you will have the patience to stick with me. I will try my best to make it worthwhile :)

Well, the good news is this chapter will probably answer some of your questions. Are you ready? Let's go!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Evanescence**

"Look, Shi-chan, the sakura have blossomed earlier this year."

"Does that mean that they will last longer, okaasan?"

"Unfortunately not, Shi-chan."

"I love sakura! I wish that they will last forever!"

"Shi-chan, nothing can last forever. But they are all the more beautiful because of that."

* * *

The ground has turned into a sea of white and pink.

Shizuru held out her hand and caught a piece of pink floating in the wind. It is nearing the end of April, and the sakura trees in Fuuka High School have shed most of their petals. She closed her eyes as she gently caressed the delicate petal, taking in its soft velvety texture. Her mind was brought back to days long past, when life was simple and time existed.

_Even the blossoming flowers  
Will eventually scatter  
Who in our world  
Is unchanging?  
The deep mountains of vanity  
We cross them today  
And we shall not see superficial dreams  
Nor be deluded_

It was a poem she was taught a long time ago, when she was a little girl.

Shizuru opened her palm and allowed the breeze to carry the pink petal away. A shallow crease appeared between her brows as she watched it drift through the air.

_But I am unchanging… okaasan. _

_

* * *

_

Natsuki dropped her bag on the desk and slumped on her chair. Her gaze instinctively shifted to the empty desk beside her and she felt her anger rise. _Damn woman._

Shizuru has not appeared in school since their trip to Rorschach two days ago.

Natsuki scowled as she revisited the events of that night in her mind. After rescuing the crimson-eyed girl from the claws of those lecherous men, she was silly enough to insist on escorting her to the pub and accompanying her until her 'friend' arrives. She even went to the extent of agreeing to give the girl a ride home on her precious bike. However Shizuru had claimed that she left her phone in the pub, and asked to meet up with her at its entrance later. She therefore made haste to pick up her bike and ride it back to the pub, merely to realize that the girl was nowhere in sight. Thinking that Shizuru might be waiting in the pub, which was a sensible thing to do given the chilly weather, she stepped inside. But no, Shizuru was not there either.

Just as she was getting paranoid that something might have happened to the girl, the bored-looking bartender called to her from across the room.

"Hey! Ya looking for ya girlfriend?"

Natsuki glowered at the bartender even though she knew that the guy probably did not mean it that way.

"She asked me to tell ya that she's gone off first." The bartender gave her a smirk that irritated her to no end. She shot him one last glare before stomping out of the pub and riding her bike home at break-neck speed.

_I've had enough of this_,Natsuki thought as she rested her chin on one hand and stared defiantly out of the classroom window. She was absolutely piqued. Her hundredth recollection of that night had only convinced her that Shizuru had made a fool of her. _You devil woman! What's with all the mystery anyway?_

Natsuki's inner rants, however, were cut short by the hush that swept across the classroom. She did not have to turn her head to know that a certain someone had entered the room. In fact, she made sure to keep her searing gaze staunchly fixed on the scenery outside the window even when she sensed that certain someone settling on the chair beside her.

A few seconds later, another person entered the classroom. "Good morning class," Yukariko called out cheerily as the students scampered to their seats. Natsuki huffed. Somehow the crimson-eyed girl would always come into class just a moment before the teacher appears. Naturally this was much to the dismay of her classmates, as it robbed them of the opportunity to speak to Shizuru. However, Natsuki did not care about that. She was not in the least interested in speaking to the girl, not after what happened.

_She's furious_, Shizuru mused as she took out her textbooks and placed them neatly on her desk. She had come to school expecting the dark-haired girl to be mad at her for leaving like that. After all, Natsuki had taken the trouble to accompany her to the pub and was even prepared to give her a lift home. What Shizuru did was extremely discourteous, to say the least. _But I can't possibly allow her to send me home_… She let out a helpless sigh.

"…Alright, let's get someone to answer this question. Natsuki-san?"

There was an uncomfortable silence as the class peered at the dark-haired girl, who was still staring sulkily out of the window.

"Natsuki-san?" Yukariko frowned as she called again in a louder voice.

"Kuga! Kuga!" Chie whispered as she pushed her desk slightly so that it bumped against Natsuki's chair.

Natsuki was rudely jolted out of her reverie and snapped her head to face her teacher.

"Natsuki-san, what is the answer to this question?" Yukariko gestured at the chalkboard. The dark-haired girl slowly rose from her seat, furrowing her brows as she stared at the board. She stole a glance at Nao, who had _don't-ask-me-I-don't-know_ written all over her face.

"Umm..." Natsuki murmured as she blinked at the scribbling on the board. It was obvious that she had not been paying attention in class. Yukariko could feel her patience wearing thin. _Seriously, what are these kids thinking slacking off in their final year of high school?_

"Natsuki-san, if you can't answer this question I'll need you to stay back after school today."

"1985." A voice whispered. Natsuki glanced briefly in the direction of the voice. The crimson-eyed girl looked as though she found her mechanical pencil to be extremely interesting as she twirled it around her slender fingers. Natsuki's eyeballs swiveled to look at the chalkboard again.

"1985." The voice repeated.

"Umm…1985," Natsuki said slowly.

Yukariko blinked. "That's…correct," she said as she stared suspiciously at Natsuki, who was wearing a stony expression. _Oh well, _she mused as she picked up her teaching material and continued with the lesson.

Natsuki plopped down on her seat. Her gaze darted to the crimson-eyed girl beside her, who offered a grin. Natsuki returned an icy glare. Shizuru frowned with feigned hurt and tore a piece of paper from her notebook. There was a look of concentration on her face as she carefully scribbled something on the paper.

Keeping her eyes on Yukariko, Shizuru stretched her left arm in Natsuki's direction and waved the piece of paper at her. Natsuki ignored her. Shizuru waved harder. "Idiot," Natsuki grumbled under her breath as she snatched the note, just in time before Yukariko turned her attention to their side of the classroom.

She unfolded the note irritably and read the elegant handwriting on it.

_Kuga-san,_

_My sincere apologies. It was terribly inconsiderate of me to have left without you. Please forgive me._

Natsuki glanced again at Shizuru, who clapped her palms together and looked at her with eyes brimming with remorse. Natsuki let out an indignant puff as she turned her face away curtly. Be that as it may, her anger quickly dissipated. Unbeknownst to most people, Natsuki was a big softie at heart. She was not the kind of person who would hold grudges. And well, it did help that the girl's expression was rather endearing.

Natsuki deliberately kept her face solemn as she folded the note and placed it on her desk.

_At least she didn't throw it back at me_, Shizuru thought wryly as she went back to listening to Yukariko drone on about the history of modern Japan.

…

The next lesson was English taught by Sakomizu. He wore a small smile on his face as he ambled through the door to the table, where he laid down a pile of books and a thin stack of papers. Sakomizu took a handkerchief and dabbed at his sweaty brow, even though the weather was still rather chilly. _Damn staircases_, he thought as he stuffed the handkerchief back into the pocket of his trousers.

"Good morning, class. Before we begin, let me hand out the quizzes you did last week."

A sense of doom rippled through the class as the students groaned collectively. Sakomizu took the thin stack of papers and went around the room distributing them. Some students were visibly delighted at their results while others clutched their heads in frustration as they beheld the horror that lay before them.

"Well done, Shizuru-san," Sakomizu said as he placed Shizuru's quiz on her desk. Shizuru responded with a polite smile.

The portly man then spun around and placed a similar sheet of paper on Natsuki's desk. "You need to work harder, Natsuki," he said in a low voice. Natsuki glanced at the piece of paper, which was filled with red markings. She then turned to look out of the window coolly.

_What should I do with this child,_ Sakomizu thought with a grimace. _Her okaasan would kill me if she knew how her daughter is doing in school_. He sighed and continued on his way.

Sakomizu finished handing out the quizzes and strode to the front of the class to start the lesson. His attention would focus on Natsuki every once in a while as he conducted the class, whereupon he would see the dark-haired girl wearing the usual disinterested expression as she stared out of the window or fiddled with her pen. Sakomizu resisted the urge to shake his head.

Finally, the bell signaling lunch break rang, to the relief of the restless students who were itching to get out of their seats.

"That's all for today," Sakomizu announced and the students scuttled to their feet. He strained to make himself heard over the sound of the chairs being dragged on the floor. "Natsuki-san, Shizuru-san, please stay back for a while."

Sakomizu's words were immediately greeted by stunned looks from the students in class. When he did not say anything further, the students poured out of the classroom reluctantly, curious as to why Sakomizu would wish to speak to Natsuki and Shizuru. Some of them blatantly lingered by the entrance of the classroom, jostling for strategic positions in the hope of overhearing their subsequent conversation.

Nao shot Natsuki a questioning look, to which the latter merely shrugged. "I'll see you at the garden," Nao mouthed silently before striding out of the classroom, rolling her eyes at her nosy classmates who have gathered outside.

Chie felt utterly miserable as she eyed Natsuki and Shizuru on her way out. She was sure that the suspense of not knowing what was going on would affect her appetite. _Might as well skip lunch and try to get a scoop on this! _She stopped in her tracks and successfully wedged herself between two classmates who were hiding behind the doorway, much to their chagrin.

When the last of the students except Natsuki and Shizuru had filtered out of the classroom, Sakomizu gestured for the two to approach him at the table. The crimson-eyed girl rose from her seat gracefully and strode to the front of the room, a placid expression on her face. Natsuki, on the other hand, was clearly annoyed as she sauntered towards the table. _These two are more different than chalk and cheese_, Sakomizu thought as he clasped his hands together in front of him.

"Yes, Sakomizu-sensei?" It was Shizuru who broke the silence.

"Well," Sakomizu began slowly, "you two know that this is the final year of high school, and your entrance examinations are just around the corner." He paused to adjust his glasses. The two girls looked at him impatiently, one making it more obvious than the other.

Sakomizu put on his glasses and eyed the two girls intently. "Shizuru-san, your work has been excellent so far," he said. "Unfortunately, Natsuki-san, you are still rather weak in English." _Which is really an understatement since you two have the highest and lowest scores in the cohort respectively_, Sakomizu mused as he brushed off the hostile look given by Natsuki.

After making sure that he still had the full attention of both girls, Sakomizu took a deep breath. "So, Shizuru-san, I need you to tutor Natsuki-san."

"What?" Natsuki said as she slammed both palms on the table. Shizuru raised her eyebrows in astonishment.

"As I've mentioned earlier, this is a critical year. Natsuki-san, you are going to have problems going to university if you do not improve on your grades. As for Shizuru-san, I'm sure that tutoring Natsuki-san will help in your revision," Sakomizu said smoothly. He had expected the two girls' reaction and hence had come fully prepared.

Natsuki shot a glare at Sakomizu that said _why don't you do the tutoring then, you lazy old man_. Sakomizu feigned an apologetic sigh. "I'm afraid I can't tutor Natsuki-san, as I am currently heavily involved in the school administration." Which was obviously untrue. The real reason was that tutoring Natsuki would be equivalent to committing harakiri.

"Moreover, the school administration had recommended that Shizuru-san do the tutoring." This earned him a quizzical look from Shizuru.

Sakomizu knew that a wise man retreats once his job is done. He stood up from his seat. "Well, that's all. I'll see you in class next week," he said as he turned to walk out of the classroom, effectively preventing Shizuru or Natsuki from lodging any further protests.

The group of students standing outside the classroom gawked at the three in shock. They hastily made way for Sakomizu as he passed and pretended that they had not been eavesdropping on the conversation. There was going to be enough gossip fodder to last a week.

"What the hell?" Natsuki cursed through clenched teeth. She glanced at the crimson-eyed girl. Shizuru, however, did not seem to notice. She furrowed her brows as she wordlessly turned to walk out of the classroom, leaving Natsuki even more infuriated.

* * *

Haruka was having a good day. She had caught three latecomers this morning.

One boy had been trying to scale the fence in a bid to sneak into the school. He nearly fell off when he heard Haruka bellowing at the top of her voice. The boy was caught in a dilemma as to whether to continue what he was doing (and run headlong into Haruka) or climb over the fence again to run _away _from the school.

He did not have the luxury of time to decide, however, as Haruka swiftly ordered her fellow student council members to pry him off the fence and send him for detention. "No! Not the dungeon!" the boy cried dramatically as he clung desperately to the fence. Haruka rolled her eyes as she ordered her men to pull harder. The poor boy was eventually dragged to the detention room.

As for the other two boys, they had decided that it would be safer to enter the school through a shallow ditch under the fence, which had been kindly provided by their predecessors. To their unpleasant surprise, they had crawled through the ditch to be welcomed by the sight of two creamy legs standing in front of them. The intimidating aura hanging over their heads immediately informed them who the owner of these legs was. The two boys trembled slightly as they looked up slowly to see the blonde wearing an evil smirk under the morning sun.

"Send them to detention!" Haruka commanded and her men hurriedly grabbed the two boys by the crook of their arms. "No! Not the dungeon!" the boys shouted in unison as they finally came to their senses and struggled to get free. Haruka rolled her eyes again. _Do they not know it's called 'detention' and not 'dungeon'? It's fine time we look into the language standards of this school. _She made up her mind to speak to the school administration about this.

Haruka whistled softly as she strode down the corridor. _All is good_, she mused. As a result of her shock-and-awe tactics for the past year, the number of delinquents in school had dropped drastically. _As I always say, we need to instill discipline in young people! _She thought with a large amount of pride.

The familiar door leading to the student council room soon came into sight. Her smile broadened as she took out the key and unlocked the door. _Finally, I can have a peaceful lunch…_

Haruka stood at the doorway with a stunned expression on her face. A girl was sitting at the desk with her slender legs stretched out and propped against the tabletop. Her arms were folded as she grinned at Haruka. Somehow she was able to radiate elegance despite her rather inappropriate sitting posture.

Haruka was speechless for a full thirty seconds before she opened her mouth. "Shi…Shizuru! How on earth did you get in?" The council room was located on the third floor of the school building and the door was locked. Only Haruka and her vice-president had the keys.

Shizuru tilted her head slightly to the side. "Ara, I have my ways Haruka-chan…" Her eyes flicked to the windows of the room.

_Don't tell me she…? _Haruka frowned. "Bubuzuke! I told you to stop calling me that!" She glanced at where Shizuru was sitting. "And you are sitting on my chair!"

Shizuru shrugged nonchalantly as she got up from the seat. "Alright, I'll return your throne to you, kaichou-san." The crimson-eyed girl then strode to the cupboard at the back of the room and rummaged through its drawers. "There's no tea here, Haruka-chan?" she said in a slightly distressed voice.

"No," Haruka said evenly she plopped herself down on her chair. She felt a little gleeful at the fact that the Shizuru could not get her hands on her favourite beverage here. Well, her second favourite beverage anyway.

"Ara…" Shizuru mumbled as she walked disappointedly back to the front of the room, dragging a chair to sit across the desk from Haruka.

Haruka opened her drawer and took out a paper fan. She opened it with flourish, exposing the word "STRENGTH" written in large calligraphic kanji characters on it. She started fanning herself. _Stupid bubuzuke always gets me worked up_.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow at the fan but chose not to say anything. Haruka looked at Shizuru suspiciously.

"I'll get straight to the point, Haruka. Did you know that I was asked to tutor Natsuki Kuga in English?"

_Oh, so that's why she's here_, Haruka mused. The truth was Haruka was rather tickled by the latest developments. Natsuki Kuga has always been a problem student who never ceased to rile her. Shizuru is also one of the few who can and will push her buttons. Having the two deal with each other one-to-one would therefore be _very_ _interesting_.Haruka tried her best to keep a straight face. "Well, yes."

"And? What has the school administration got to do with this?"

"Natsuki Kuga is weak in her English. She needs help urgently, especially since it's her final year."

"Yes I have heard that one," Shizuru responded as she frowned, "what I am asking is why me?"

Haruka let out an inaudible sigh. "Shizuru. It's your attendance records. You barely come to class. The school administration is concerned."

Shizuru raised her eyebrows.

"I had to speak to the school administration. They can't exactly do anything about you since your grades are good. So they decided that they will overlook your poor attendance record if you tutor Natsuki Kuga."

"But, Haruka, I can't possibly do that! There's _a reason_ why I can't attend class so often, so how in the world am I supposed to tutor her?"

Haruka knitted her brows as she eyed Shizuru. "I don't know what you are doing when you are not in school Shizuru, but you have been a delinquent as far as I can remember!"

Shizuru covered her face with her hands in exasperation. _I swear, Haruka is such a square. _She considered telling Haruka the reason why she was summoned back to Fuuka and what she had been tasked to do, but decided against it. It would clearly not be advisable to discuss such a topic in school.

Shizuru crossed her arms and rested them on the desk before her. She then closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on her arms. "I don't know how you do it, Haruka, but I can't survive on just 3 hours of rest everyday!" she said in a slightly whiny tone. Shizuru's kind are, of course, nocturnal creatures who are active during the night and rested during the day. But having to attend school during the day meant that Shizuru had to stay awake during the night _and _day.

"Bubuzuke! We are the undead! Fatigue will not kill us!"

"Oh, and is that medically proven?" Shizuru said as she peeked at Haruka with one eye.

Haruka closed her fan and smacked it on Shizuru's head.

"Oww…" Shizuru whimpered as she looked resentfully at Haruka. "Ikezu."

Haruka's serious expression turned into an amused one. "Anyway, the tutoring can take place just once a week, so that leaves plenty of time for you to bum around."

"I'm not 'bumming' around, Haruka-chan, I'm a woman on a mission," Shizuru deadpanned.

Haruka raised one eyebrow but she knew that the crimson-eyed girl would not divulge any further information while they were in school. "Well, that's the best deal we can get. I'm sure you don't want the school administration after you," she said gently.

Shizuru sighed. Frustrated as she felt, she knew that what Haruka said made sense.

"Anyway, I'll be returning this evening." Haruka decided to switch the topic.

A smile broke out on Shizuru's face. "That would be great Haruka-chan, it's quite lonely there without you."

"Hmpf." Haruka twitched her mouth in annoyance although she was feeling rather warm inside.

* * *

Natsuki treaded heavily through the grass towards the picnic mat where her two friends were seated. The redhead and the orange-haired girl, who were in the midst of unpacking the picnic basket, paused to look at Natsuki as she approached them.

"Whoa. Dangerous animal alert," Nao whispered to Mai.

"Natsuki, you are killing the grass," Mai chided the dark haired girl gently.

Natsuki ignored both of them and dropped herself on the mat. She was fuming mad. She tucked a few strands of stray hair behind her ear irritably while her two friends engaged in a staring contest to urge the other to speak to her.

Mai sighed. _I'll do it_.

She cautiously handed over the bento box to Natsuki, who took it wordlessly. The dark-haired girl opened it, took her chopsticks and started jabbing at the food inside. Mai raised her eyebrows. "Erm…Natsuki? You okay?" she said hesitantly.

"Mmm." The girl continued attacking her rice.

_Ugh, let me do it_, Nao thought. "What happened, Kuga? What did that fatty say?"

Natsuki's face darkened instantly. Her two friends braced themselves as they sensed a violent storm brewing. "He asked…me…" she mumbled incoherently.

"He what?" Mai and Nao leaned forward as they strained to listen to her.

"He asked…me…English," Natsuki mumbled again, slightly louder this time but still as incoherently.

"What?" Mai and Nao stretched their necks in Natsuki's direction so much that their heads were already butting against each other.

"HE ASKED SHIZURU FUJINO TO TUTOR ME IN ENGLISH!"

Mai and Nao were literally blown away by the outburst. Mai winced as she rubbed her poor ears while Nao swore that she could still hear the ringing in hers.

"What? He asked that weird girl to do that?" Nao asked incredulously.

"Who's Shizuru Fujino?" Mai enquired.

Nao's jaw dropped. "Mai, have you been living under a rock or something?"

"Hey! I haven't been coming to school much you know."

"Fine, fine. Anyway, she's the person that the school is currently crazy about."

"Oh! That explains the gigantic 'Love Love LOVE SF' banner I found hanging on the high school building today."

Nao rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, that's the one."

The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they forgot about their currently sulking companion who was threatening to break her chopsticks from all that stabbing. They only paid attention when the said girl put down her uneaten bento and lay down on the mat.

Mai elbowed Nao to do something about their gloomy friend. They had both guessed that Natsuki was probably feeling a little insulted that Sakomizu had appointed her classmate as her tutor, but it did not fully explain why the girl was in such a foul mood.

"Eh Kuga, much as I agree that she's damn weird, I didn't know you disliked her that much," Nao said.

Natsuki raised her eyebrows but remained silent. _Well, I don't exactly dislike her_. Even though she could not bring herself to say it.

Mai saw the strange expression on Natsuki's face. She turned to face Nao. "Why do you say she's weird Nao? I thought she's very popular in school now."

"Oh please. Those idiots are just crazy about her looks. Well I admit that she's not a bimbo or a bitch, but there's this weird vibe she gives me." Nao grimaced. "She hardly comes to school, doesn't mix around and has the ability to disappear into thin air. She's like a freak or something."

Natsuki tensed up instinctively. She was not sure why but she was not too pleased to hear Nao's comments. She sat up on the mat and ran her hand through her silky dark tresses as she pondered the morning's events. Sure, she was annoyed and embarrassed that Sakomizu had decided to ask another student to tutor her in English. But the real source of her annoyance was the fact that Shizuru was unhappy that she had to tutor her. Which Natsuki knew was completely unjustified, as which student would want the additional burden of doing so? But then, emotions are not always entirely logical.

Her thoughts were however disturbed by some squeals she heard in the distance. She looked up and saw the crimson-eyed girl striding across the garden in her direction. Natsuki's eyes widened in surprise. Shizuru and Natsuki's gaze locked onto each other as the former glided over the grass, her black blazer and tie flapping gently in the wind.

"Kuga-san," Shizuru said with a smile. She stood before the dark-haired girl, who was still sitting cross-legged on the mat.

Nao raised one eyebrow as she appraised the crimson-eyed girl suspiciously. Shizuru turned to give a nod in her direction. "Yuuki-san." Nao was vaguely surprised that Shizuru knew her name but she merely gave an indifferent nod of her head.

Mai, on the other hand, looked at Shizuru curiously. _Is this her? Well I must admit she's quite something. _Shizuru nodded politely at Mai as she did not know her name. Mai smiled in response.

Natsuki straightened her back. "Yes?" she said irritably.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Shizuru said. _Why does she look so angry? Have I done something? _

"You can say what you want to say now."

Shizuru raised her eyebrows. She was not quite sure what to make of this sudden hostility from Natsuki. _I thought she has forgiven me for the Rorschach incident? _

"It's regarding what Sakomizu-sensei said this morning, I—"

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Natsuki snapped. "I don't need your help anyway."

Something in Shizuru's head clicked. _Oh. _Her lips widened into a gentle smile. "Well of course Kuga-san. In fact I'm the one who will need your help."

Natsuki tilted her head slightly to the side and frowned. She did not know what the girl was getting at.

"Please let me tutor you."

Natsuki's eyes widened. She scrambled to her feet to stand in front of Shizuru. "What do you mean?"

Shizuru leaned closer to Natsuki and spoke to her in a low voice. "Well, you are aware that my attendance records are not very, er, spectacular. But the school administration is willing to let it go if I tutor you." Natsuki could feel the cool breath on her ear. It immediately reminded her of a night not so long ago when the crimson-eyed girl came _too close_ for her liking. Her skin prickled as blood rushed to her face.

Shizuru stepped away. "So I would be very grateful if you would agree." She was surprised to see the splash of red on the girl's cheeks. _Again? I guess tutoring will be quite fun. _

Natsuki tried desperately to relax her stiff body. She was not aware that her two friends on the mat were gaping at the scene. Since when does Natsuki behave like this?

"Whatever." Natsuki eventually said, her eyes not looking at Shizuru.

Shizuru beamed. "Thanks very much, Kuga-san."

Mai was deeply curious about Shizuru by now. "Hi, I am Mai Tokiha, Natsuki's friend. Are you her classmate?" Nao glared at Mai. She could not believe the girl could be so thick-skinned as to introduce herself so abruptly.

Shizuru turned to Mai and flashed a charming smile. "Nice to meet you, Tokiha-san. I apologise for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Shizuru Fujino."

Mai was impressed by Shizuru's politeness. _Such a nice girl_, Mai mused as she cast a dirty look at Nao, who turned up her palms in an indignant shrug and mouthed "what?"

Mai's gaze flicked back to Shizuru. "Please, Fujino-san, call me Mai," she said coquettishly.

"And you can call me Shizuru, Mai-san," Shizuru smiled charmingly again. Nao thought that she was going to be sick.

"I'm so glad that you will be tutoring Natsuki. She's not very diligent with her work." Mai shot a reprimanding look at Natsuki. The dark-haired girl frowned somewhat distractedly at her in return.

"I will do my best, Mai-san."

"Would you like to join us for lunch?"

"Ara, I would be delighted to, but—" Shizuru surveyed her surroundings warily. They were encircled by a ring of curious onlookers who were furtively closing in every second. "It would be best if I do not." She let out a resigned sigh. _Somebody save me. _

Mai looked around and understood. "I understand, Shizuru-san. Perhaps another day?"

"Yes. I shall make a move now, Mai-san. It was a great pleasure to meet you today," Shizuru said sincerely. The orange-haired girl felt extremely flattered and she waved her hand coyly in embarrassment.

"Kuga-san?" Shizuru glanced at the dark-haired girl, who looked to be deep in thought. "Shall we have our first session after class next Monday?" Natsuki stared blankly at her for a moment before nodding mutely.

"Well, then. Good day, Kuga-san, Yuuki-san, Mai-san," Shizuru said as she turned to walk off.

"Shizuru-san!" Mai called after her urgently. "That's not the way back to the classrooms!"

Shizuru turned. "Thank you, Mai-san. But I'm not going back to class." She winked mischievously before continuing to stride briskly out of the circle of onlookers towards the school gates.

Mai glanced at Natsuki, who was still wearing a dazed look on her face.

Nao grudgingly agreed in her mind that the crimson-eyed girl was cool in a weird sort of way.

* * *

Shizuru opened her eyes slowly and blinked. The sun was setting. She watched as the last rays of orange light traveled slowly across the floor before fading out entirely. _Another day has passed. _

She sat up on the bed and yawned. She had left school in the afternoon and returned to her room for a nap. She was rather annoyed at how she would always wake up as the sun is setting, regardless of how exhausted she was. Shizuru let out a long sigh. _I guess some things cannot be changed. But getting only 3 hours of rest each day is making me really irritable. _

There was the sound of knocking on solid wood. "Fujino-sama?" a muffled voice came from behind the door.

"Yes?"

"Shukun-sama is back. She would like to have dinner with you in the Great Hall."

Shizuru's mood brightened immediately. "Noted. I will be there at 7."

"Yes Fujino-sama," the muffled voice answered.

Shizuru relaxed in her bed as she listened to the sound of footsteps moving away from her room. _Finally, _she mused.

* * *

Shizuru was wearing a pair of faded denim jeans and a light grey woolen sweater as she travelled along the dimly lit corridor. The absence of any windows coupled with the somber wooden panels lining the side of the walls caused the corridor to appear narrower than it really was. Occasionally she would encounter one or two individuals, who would immediately avert their gaze and bow reverentially at her. She would then respond with a slight nod of her head and a small smile on her face. It was not as though they would see it, but good manners are an integral part of Shizuru Fujino.

The crimson-eyed girl navigated the labyrinth of corridors with familiarity. The cool, dry air evoked a sense of nostalgia in her, even though she knew that she would very much prefer to be outdoors enjoying the fresh scent of spring.

She was ruminating on her bitter-sweet experience with the sakura trees that morning when the corridor finally opened up to the concourse. The vast, cavernous hall, which was the meeting point of dozens of other similar corridors, was lit by hundreds of burning torches attached to its rocky walls_. _As Shizuru made her way across its marble floors, the occasional squeak from her sneakers echoed off the sides of the hall, joining the chorus of clicking heels which emanated from other individuals going about their own businesses. A number of them were entering or exiting the numerous corridors, while some were making use of two of the three large staircases that allowed them access to the second and third levels. There were also a few others who were huddled in small groups, engaged in conversation.

Shizuru was keenly aware of the attention she was attracting. Those who saw her immediately paused in their footsteps to take a second look and this behaviour soon had a domino effect. The ones who were in her path quickly stepped aside and bowed. Shizuru maintained a polite smile on her face as she picked up her pace and strode briskly towards the staircase in the middle, which unlike the other two, was deserted. As she calmly ascended the stairs, she was reminded of the reason why she was reluctant to return to Fuuka. _I'm still not used to all these attention… _

When Shizuru reached the landing at the top of the stairs, she was greeted by the sight of two individuals dressed in dark suits standing on each side of an ornate double-paneled door. Upon recognising Shizuru, the two bowed respectfully. They then straightened up and pushed the heavy door open. A gust of cool air hit Shizuru as she stepped into the room.

"Shizuru!" The woman, whose mahogany hair was tied up in a high ponytail, beamed as she stood up from her seat at the far end of the table.

"Shukun-sama." Shizuru smiled as she strode quickly towards the woman.

Though the Great Hall was smaller than the concourse it could comfortably fit a thousand people. Large chandeliers were scattered across the high ceiling, basking the place in a warm glow. Elaborate carvings decorated the marble walls while an intricately woven carpet covered the floor. A long table, enough to seat a hundred, stood alone in the middle of the hall.

It took Shizuru a while to reach the other end of the hall where Midori was. She executed a perfect bow before taking Midori's extended hand and kissing it lightly. As she looked up she saw the fondness reflected in Midori's golden eyes and grinned.

"It's been a long time, Shizuru-chan," Midori said softly as she patted Shizuru's hand.

"Only twenty years, Midori. Surely that is not long for you," Shizuru replied smoothly. She gently released Midori's hand as she turned and grinned at the blonde who was seated diagonally to Midori's right. "Great to see you again, Haruka. And this is?"

"This is Yukino Kikukawa," Haruka said as she gestured to the girl on her right, "a friend of mine from school." The colour that appeared on Haruka's cheeks did not go unnoticed by Shizuru.

Shizuru quickly assessed Yukino. She had noticed her the moment she stepped through the doorway. A mousy-looking, petite girl with short brown hair. The stereotypical bespectacled bookworm. _But one should not judge a book by its cover, no pun intended._ Like Haruka, Yukino wore a faint blush which deepened when she noticed Shizuru's scrutiny. An inexplicable uneasiness settled over Shizuru, but she put on a winsome smile and bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Kikukawa-san".

"Pl…pleased to meet you, Fujino-san." Yukino bowed in return.

"Ara, Kikukawa-san knows me?" Shizuru had a slightly puzzled expression on her face.

"Fujino-san…is extremely well known in school." Yukino replied shyly.

"Is that so Shizuru-chan?" Midori said, her eyes twinkling with amusement, "but school term has barely started?"

Shizuru shrugged good-naturedly as she took her seat on Midori's diagonal left, directly opposite Haruka. The other three sat down as well. Four crystal glasses were already placed on the table before them. Shizuru's head spun a little as she caught a whiff of the intoxicating aroma that drifted from the contents of her glass. _How long has it been? Three weeks? _She picked up her glass and swirled the red contents around. _I hope that Kikukawa-san does not drink from Haruka's glass by mistake, _she added cheekily.

"Well Shizuru-chan," Midori said, "what have you been up to these twenty years?"

"Unfortunately, nothing much. I spent most of my time backpacking around Europe. I'm afraid my _youthful looks_ do not do well for my job prospects," Shizuru said wryly as she leaned against the backrest of the chair.

Midori raised an eyebrow. "Ah, but I do not seem to have problems staying gainfully employed."

"Well," Shizuru tilted her head slightly to the side as she eyed Midori, "that's because Midori looks like she is in her mid-twenties rather than a seventeen year old." And of course, the fact that the Ministry _needed_ her to be around.

"Rubbish. I'm not that far away from seventeen," Midori said as she waved her hand dismissively at Shizuru.

"With all due respect, shukun-sama, twenty-four is seventeen _plus seven_."

"Why you little...!" Midori chortled as she slapped Shizuru playfully on the arm.

…

"...and I said to him, I'm not one of those cardboard standees you see at the cinema. I've got substance!" Another roar of laughter from Midori.

Shizuru quietly pondered how it was possible for Midori to end up in a drunken state at every one of their gatherings. Intoxicating as it is, the red drink's side effects do not include hours of nonsensical ramblings and hysterical laughter. _Perhaps some people can get high on air_, Shizuru thought as she chuckled. Midori's high spirits were infectious, however, as the usually straitlaced Haruka was looking on with an amused expression, and even her brown-haired friend appeared to be more at ease.

"So tell me Shizuru-chan, are you glad to be back in Fuuka?"

"Not really," Shizuru answered honestly, "I have gotten so used to doing whatever I liked that I feel rather like a prisoner here."

"This reminds me, Midori. I assume that you did not plan a welcome party for me?"

"There was a welcome party for you? How exciting! So how was it?"

"Well, I had a really _pleasant_ surprise," Shizuru said, "but perhaps we should talk about this later." She looked in the direction of Haruka.

"Go on, bubuzuke," Haruka said as she folded her arms in front of her.

_If you say so_, Shizuru thought. She then took a deep breath and narrated the events of the faithful night she found Natsuki tied to her bed.

The hall was once again filled with boisterous laughter. "You mean...you mean they..." Midori was laughing so hard that she had difficulty forming a proper sentence.

"It's not funny, Midori," Shizuru sighed as she massaged her nose bridge. _I can feel a headache coming. _

"Oh no... it's… what do people say these days… yes, 'freaking hilarious'!" Yet another burst of laughter from Midori.

"Midori!" _Great_, Shizuru thought, _I probably shouldn't tell Midori that said girl ended up as my classmate_ _or I'll get no end of this. _

"Alright, alright Shizuru-chan. No need to get your knickers in a knot," Midori said in a pacifying tone. Shizuru rolled her eyes.

Midori coughed lightly and straightened her back. "You must understand, Shizuru, that there are some of us here who continue to cling on to the Old Ways. There are some who expect us, especially the Elders, to behave in a certain manner towards the Mortals."

A frown appeared on Shizuru's face. She was acutely aware that she would have sown resentment amongst the masses had she rejected the "gift". The girl would also have been treated as free game for all – a _very_ undesirable situation for a Mortal.

"Although I am the Master of this Coven, there are factions who have different ideas on how this place should be run," Midori continued, "it may even be possible that they were trying to test you, to see how 'pure' you were."

Shizuru sulked. "So I guess they must be pretty convinced now that I'm a sex-crazed, blood thirsty—"

"Ahem," Haruka, who had kept silent all this while, cleared her throat as she peered cautiously at the brown-haired girl beside her. "So this girl. You sent her home?"

"I had to get one of the others to do it. But only after I had marked her." Haruka nodded approvingly. Their kind belonged to a hierarchal society after all. A Mortal who has been marked by a Vampire will be considered off limits to other Vampires, especially if the former is of a superior rank.

"Well, Shizuru-chan. Now that I'm back, I doubt that they will dare to attempt such a thing again. After all, such foolish action endangers our Coven." Midori furrowed her brows. "We do not want the Ministry to kick up a big fuss."

She looked thoughtful for a moment before turning towards Haruka. "It's getting late, Haruka-chan. Perhaps you should send Kikakuwa-san back to her room?"

Haruka understood Midori right away. "Come, Yukino. I'll walk you back to your room." The two stood up from their seats. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Sugiura-san, Fujino-san," Yukino said as she bowed. Haruka and Yukino then walked out of the hall side by side.

When she was sure that the two were outside earshot, Shizuru spoke. "Is this the first time you are meeting Kikakuwa-san?"

Midori shook her head. "This is the third time, actually. Haruka first brought her here last summer."

"Midori, I don't think—"

"I understand what you trying to say, Shizuru. But you should know that such things are not within our control. Or Haruka's, for that matter."

Shizuru tapped on her empty glass solemnly. "Kikakuwa-san accepts Haruka as who she is?"

"Yes. Although she did appear slightly disconcerted when you described your 'welcome party'. But that is to be expected."

Midori and Shizuru remained silent as they awaited Haruka's return, each lost in their own thoughts.

…

The door reopened and Haruka entered. Midori waited for her to settle down in her chair before opening her mouth to speak. "Haruka-chan, I guess you must be wondering why I asked Shizuru to come back to Fuuka?" Midori looked at Haruka and Shizuru. The former looked intrigued while the latter sat there impassively.

"You have been spending most of your time in the school dorms, Haruka-chan, but perhaps you have already heard. Some of our own have gone missing in the recent months."

"Missing?" Haruka frowned as she leaned forward in her seat.

"Yes," Midori went on, "disappeared without a trace."

"How many of them?"

"So far eleven cases have been confirmed. There are a number of others which are still undetermined. As you know, many of us stay for extended periods of time outside these grounds."

"Do I know any of them?"

"I believe that you would be familiar with Kenji-san, Sato-san and Shiro-san."

_Kenji, Sato and Shiro. They are Centurians, are they not? _

Midori saw the grave expression on Haruka's face and understood. "That's precisely what's worrying me. The Centurians are more than capable of protecting themselves. If they were indeed attacked, then the enemy must be rather powerful."

"You are convinced that they were attacked? Perhaps they ran away?"

"You know that it is impossible to run away," Midori said. It was common knowledge that the tracking chip embedded in the back of their necks cannot be removed unless they are willing to scramble their brains. "Besides, we have made thorough investigations. There is nothing to suggest any link between the missing such that they would take turns to disappear."

"To cut the long story short, Haruka, this disappearing business is causing much disquiet amongst the masses. We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible."

"Shizuru is currently investigating the matter. What are your findings?" Midori looked at the crimson-eyed girl.

"Nothing much yet. As you said, they disappeared without a trace. All of the disappearances took place in the First and Second Districts. But that is unsurprising, given that a lot of us like to congregate there," she gave Midori a wry look.

"I have, however, engaged an old friend of mine to find out more information. He's due to report to me sometime next week."

Shizuru saw the uncharacteristic grimness on Midori's face and ran her hand through her hair thoughtfully. "Surely you must have some thoughts on this matter. What do you think is going on?"

Midori's frown deepened.

"I believe… that someone is out to exterminate our kind."

Haruka gasped. "You don't mean…"

Shizuru's expression turned cold and hard.

"Yes," Midori closed her eyes, "it appears that the Banishers are back."

* * *

A/N: The poem at the first scene is called "Iroha".

"Centurian" is a word I made up. It basically carries the same meaning as a "Centenarian" (in Vampire years), but I just liked the spelling better.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please drop me a comment or review :)


	5. Chapter 5: Choices

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

A/N: Whew. I finally managed to finish this chapter.

Thanks to the reviewers, your comments are as always very much appreciated. As for the other readers out there, it would be nice to hear from you on how you find the story so far! I do hope to get more acquainted with my readers as it gets a little strange looking at those figures on the traffic stats and wondering who all these "nameless" people are :)

I should mention that I have a few deadlines coming up and I probably wouldn't be able to work on the next few chapters surreptitiously in the office (oops). Therefore, if you have enjoyed the story so far, I strongly encourage you to subscribe to the story alert.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Choices**

A million thoughts ran through Shizuru's head as she pinned the dark-haired girl on the bed. _Am I sure that this is the only way? _She asked herself again and again. The answer was clear each time. _Yes_.

"What are you doing?" the girl demanded, her emerald eyes wide with bewilderment as she tried to overcome Shizuru's vice-like grip in vain.

Shizuru knew that there was no use in explaining. She furrowed her brows as she pressed herself closer to the dark-haired girl. She could feel the pounding in the girl's chest. She could even sense the throbbing at her neck. Shizuru clenched her jaw as she felt a raw surge of emotions. The deep burning urge has arrived, and there is no stopping now.

"Please forgive me… It will arouse their suspicions if I do not do this," she whispered. _It is an unfortunate situation for the both of us. But it must be done. _With that thought, Shizuru took a deep breath and grabbed the girl by her shoulders. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she clamped her lips over the girl's neck. She felt the girl's body jerk in response to the breaking of her skin before her own world turned hazy.

Warmth. It gushed into her, swirled and flooded every part of her. It set off explosions of pleasurable sensations all over her body. Shizuru realized that she had forgotten how hungry she was, how much she craved this feeling. This feeling of being alive. _More, I need more… _a voice chanted in her head as she greedily slurped the liquid down. She no longer knew who or where she was. She only knew that her thirst was insatiable.

_Stop! Stop right now! _Another voice cried out in her head. _You don't want to kill her! _Shizuru lurched. She felt her head spinning from the sudden clash of discordant thoughts. Her hands gripped the bed sheet tightly as she struggled to gain control of herself. _No! This is good. You want this. You NEED this. _The first voice was back, cajoling her to continue her deed. _Get off her, Shizuru… You can do it. _The second voice pleaded. _Remember that you do not wish to hurt her. _

The last thought was like a gust of wind chasing away the fog. It took Shizuru all her resolve to detach herself from the girl. Her body shook in protest as she slowly pushed herself off the bed. _Get away, get away… _she repeated in her mind as she left the bed and stumbled towards the chair across the room.

Panting heavily, she slumped on the chair and tipped her head back to lean against the backrest. _Breathe, Shizuru, breathe, _she urged herself as she stared at the blank ceiling. She could not help but lick her lips, and nearly went mad from the taste of the girl that lingered there. Shizuru hastily reached one hand into her jeans pocket and fished out a small metal box. With her gaze still fixed on the ceiling, her trembling hands opened the box and took out two small pills, which she quickly popped into her mouth and swallowed. She knew that she had taken a higher dosage than allowed, but she had no choice. She had to stem the overwhelming desire to drink as soon as possible.

Shizuru closed her eyes and gripped the armrests as she prayed for the pills to take effect soon. It seemed like an eternity before her raging heart calmed down and her breathing eased. Finally, she opened her eyes and massaged her stiff arms, feeling somewhat reassured by the fact that her heated skin had reverted to its normal coolness.

Having decided that it was safe to do so, Shizuru turned her head to peer at the dark-haired girl on the bed. As expected, the girl had passed out. _Just as well, _Shizuru mused as she took time to study the girl. Natsuki was lying on her back, her head slightly tilted to the side and her satiny hair splayed out on the sheets. A few loose strands framed her attractive face, which wore a peaceful expression. Her chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm, like she was in a deep slumber.

Shizuru let out a long sigh as she rubbed her face wearily.

_Natsuki Kuga… You have upset my diet..._ she thought with a wry smile.

* * *

Tomoe had never run so hard in her life.

At the sound of the bell signaling the end of the school day, she grabbed her bag and bolted out of the classroom. Adrenaline rushed through her body as she sped along the corridor, impatiently dodging the students who were spilling out from the classrooms. She leapt two steps at a time up the stairs to the fifth storey, which was where the classrooms for the third years were located.

_I must… see her… _Tomoe thought as she urged herself to run harder down the corridor. She nearly crashed into a group of students who had just stepped out of the classroom. There was a loud commotion as the students scrambled to get out of her way.

"Tomoe-chan? Where are you going?" Takeda asked when he saw the girl with teal-coloured hair barrel down the corridor like a tornado. Tomoe appeared not to register his question and continued to force her way through the horde of students. "Wait!" Takeda called again as the girl vanished in the crowd. He had never seen Tomoe in such a hurry before.

By the time Tomoe neared the classroom at the end of the corridor she was completely exhausted. Her chest heaved as she leaned against the wall to steady herself. _Please… let her be here still… _Tomoe pleaded in her head. She struggled to catch her breath as her hand carelessly wiped the sweat off her face.

Tomoe straightened herself up and was about to approach the classroom when a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind. "Tomoe! Why were you running so fast?" She turned around and faced the boy with spiky black hair. Tomoe was vaguely aware that Takeda had a concerned expression on his face, which was slightly flushed from chasing after her. She looked at him blankly for a brief moment before refocusing her attention on the classroom at the end of the corridor.

Takeda was about to speak again when he heard the girl gasp. He instinctively looked in the direction that she was staring and frowned.

The exhilaration that Tomoe felt when the crimson-eyed girl stepped out of the classroom simply could not be described in words. For the past one week she had faithfully dashed to the latter's classroom at the end of the school day, only to be disappointed every single time as Shizuru would either have left before she could reach her destination or not appeared in school at all.

Tomoe, however, could barely savour her joy when panic suddenly set in. Her mouth went dry as she was hit with the painful realization that she did not know what to do. Her mind had been so preoccupied with the thought of wanting to catch a glimpse of the crimson-eyed girl that it had failed to provide for the scenario when she _actually met her. _

Her first thought was to speak to Shizuru. _But, what? _Tomoe furrowed her brows as she desperately tried to find something to say to the girl, who was now merely a few steps away from her. It was no use. She felt the last cell in her brain shut down. Time seemed to grind to a halt as she helplessly watched the girl walk past her, her copperish blonde locks gently swaying with her elegant strides.

_Do something! _

"Ah…"

The girl was moving further and further away.

"Please wait!"

Shizuru paused in her tracks and spun around, a quizzical look on her face. "Ara, were you calling me?"

"Y—Yes…" Tomoe stammered.

Shizuru inclined her head slightly to the side as she waited for Tomoe to continue her obviously unfinished sentence.

However, the fact that Shizuru was looking at her straight in the eyes sent Tomoe into a tizzy. She stood there gaping at Shizuru, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish while she struggled to come up with something appropriate to say.

"I… D—Do you remember me?" Tomoe wanted to slap herself the moment she blurted out those words. _Why the hell did you ask this question? She probably doesn't!_ she cried in her head. But despite berating herself, a small part of Tomoe fervently prayed that Shizuru would know who she was.

The crimson-eyed girl frowned a little as she scrutinized Tomoe, who in turn thought that she was going to faint anytime. A smile slowly crept across her face. "I remember."

Tomoe would have jumped for joy if not for the fact that her knees were feeling wobbly.

"You are a friend of Erstin-san, right? The girl who nearly fell down the stairs?"

_She does remember! _

"Yes, yes I am!" she said a little too agitatedly.

"How's Erstin-san? She was not injured, was she?"

"No, she was perfectly fine."

Shizuru's smile widened. "I'm glad."

When Tomoe remained silent, Shizuru shifted her body a little. Her body language told Tomoe that she was about to excuse herself. Panic struck Tomoe again.

"Err… I… I wanted to thank you for helping her that day. If not for you she would have hurt herself badly," she managed to choke out. Tomoe was not exactly lying. She was sincerely grateful to Shizuru for saving Erstin. But of course, that in itself would not have merited her record-breaking sprints to Shizuru's classroom the week before.

"You're welcome," Shizuru said smoothly. Tomoe wondered distractedly whether it was possible to literally melt under a person's gaze.

"Well, I'll see you around, er –"

"Tomoe, my name is Tomoe."

Shizuru flashed a charming smile. "I'll see you around then, Tomoe-san. Please send my regards to Erstin-san as well." With that, she turned around gracefully and continued to make her way down the corridor.

Tomoe felt a little lightheaded as her eyes followed the crimson-eyed girl until the latter vanished down the stairs. The hammering in her chest gradually eased, though her two feet remained rooted to the ground.

"Tomoe? Tomoe!" A hand shook her shoulder hard. She snapped her head to face the culprit.

Takeda quickly surveyed their surroundings. He was relieved to find that the students, who had been curiously observing the exchange between Shizuru and Tomoe, have since dispersed with the departure of the crimson-eyed girl.

His eyes flicked back to the girl before him. "Tomoe. You ran so hard just to see her?" Takeda asked incredulously.

The girl kept quiet. The crease between Takeda's brows grew deeper. He had seen the way his childhood friend had looked at Shizuru. It was an expression he had never seen in all their years together. "Don't tell me… you like her _that way_?" he said in a harsh whisper.

Tomoe looked away. She could feel her face burning up. "Yes..." she said after much hesitation.

"Wh—why?" Takeda released his hold on Tomoe's shoulder and stepped away.

There was something in Takeda's tone that irked Tomoe. "What do you mean by that?" she said as she glared at her friend.

"I mean, I mean… she's a girl, Tomoe!"

"I know that," Tomoe said curtly as she folded her arms and turned her face away from Takeda.

"And? It's impossible between the two of you!" Takeda said.

Tomoe looked at Takeda with an expression that was a mixture of hurt and anger. It hit him hard. _Perhaps I have gone too far, _he thought uneasily. On further reflection, he figured that it was merely a passing phase, and Tomoe only had a crush on the girl. He has been told before that girl-on-girl crushes were not uncommon, and they usually outgrew it by the time they left school. _Tomoe is still young, surely she will get over it? _In any case, he had observed that the crimson-eyed girl did not seem to know Tomoe personally. There was hence no cause for concern yet. He decided that it would be better not to agitate his dear friend any further.

"Ah…Tomoe…" Takeda said uncertainly as he rubbed his scar. It was his habit to do so whenever he felt awkward. "I'm sorry. I'm… just concerned for you."

Tomoe's expression softened. "It's okay…" she said quietly.

He decided to change the topic. "Anyway, I saw Natsuki-san just now. She's in the same class."

"Oh?" Tomoe remarked disinterestedly. Normally she would have jumped right in to bombard Takeda with merciless teasing, but his earlier words still weighed on her heavily.

Takeda frowned. He decided to take another shot at lightening the mood. "Yes, and as usual, I could not prevent myself from stuttering."

"You suck big time, Takeda." Tomoe lips twitched a little. "But I'm not any better…" She let out a small sigh. If anything, she was a bigger imbecile than her friend when dealing with her object of affection.

Takeda grinned. "Birds of feather flock together."

Tomoe finally smiled.

"C'mon, let's get moving," Takeda said as he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

* * *

Natsuki told herself that she had not forgotten. She rationalized that it was only because the crimson-eyed girl had not done anything further in the past few weeks that she unwittingly let her guard down. Until the close proximity with the girl during their last encounter reminded her just how vulnerable she was.

She spent the entire weekend brooding over the issue. _For goodness sake, Kuga, she didn't do anything to you, right? _she thought to herself. But there would invariably be a ready retort. _There's no guarantee that she won't try anything when you two are alone! _Natsuki's inner monologue sessions would always end with her massaging her throbbing temples in frustration.

It would have been a straightforward matter if Natsuki had simply decided to stay away from the crimson-eyed girl. The problem was that she could not help but feel that drawn to her. _Is it curiousity? Or what?_ Natsuki was a person who would be brutally honest with her feelings, assuming that she understood them. However, her usual lack of introspectiveness meant that she drew a blank every time she tried to decipher what was happening. The only thing she was certain was that Shizuru had an uncanny way of putting her at ease and she felt comfortable around her. Too comfortable, in fact, considering all the unresolved issues they had.

Natuski needed space to think. However, the study sessions that she was supposed to have with Shizuru would inevitably require her to closely interact with the girl. _Why the hell did I agree to it? _Natsuki thought irritably as she bumped her forehead against the table for the nth time. _Sakomizu, you annoying old man! _Natsuki blamed her teacher for her predicament. She was sure that the portly man had planned this as vengeance for all the times she had riled him in class.

Whether she liked it or not, Monday came. Natsuki's pride simply refused to let her skip school that day (even though such behaviour was not entirely an uncommon occurrence). She was not the type to back down in the face of danger or problems. Her mind, however, was in another world as she made her way to school. She attended the day's lessons in a daze, the only interruption being the time when Shizuru stepped into the classroom. She had tried her hardest not to flinch, and resolutely kept her eyes fixed on the chalkboard throughout the lesson.

It would not have occurred to Natsuki that while she was valiantly trying to keep her imagination from running wild, her teacher was in disbelief at how attentive Natsuki seemed to be. _Who would have known appointing Shizuru-san as her tutor would have such a positive effect so quickly? _Sakomizu thought in amazement as he went about his lesson. _Perhaps I should recommend to the school that Shizuru-san tutor her in ALL her subjects. Yes, what a brilliant plan that is! _he added smugly.

Natsuki's day passed in a blur. She did not have any appetite during lunch, leading to questioning looks from her two friends. But as usual, they could not pry anything out of the girl who stubbornly refused to divulge the reason for her sour mood.

It was too soon before the bell signaling the end of the school day sounded. Natsuki would not have noticed, if not for the familiar voice calling out to her. "Kuga-san."

Natsuki distractedly wondered how it was possible for a voice to be filled with so much warmth when she suddenly realized who the speaker was. Her heartbeat accelerated as she glanced at the girl on her right. Shizuru was looking at her with an expression that Natsuki could only interpret as a fusion of concern and amusement. "Remember our date today?" Shizuru continued with a small smile.

Natsuki nodded mutely as she tried to contain her anxiety. She took her time to pack the items on her desk as she summoned her courage in anticipation of what would happen next. _Okay, Kuga, don't panic. Just call off the whole thing_. She had, in her daze, come to the conclusion that it would be better if she maintained some distance from the crimson-eyed girl until she figured out a plan. Whatever that might be.

Natsuki did not have an infinite number of items on her table after all. She reluctantly closed her bag. She was wondering what to do next when the girl beside her stood up from her desk. Her gaze shifted to Shizuru. "Let's go then," Shizuru said with a grin before picking up her bag and striding out of the classroom. Natsuki slowly plucked herself off the chair and followed the crimson-eyed girl. She could sense the envious looks being thrown at her from her classmates as she did so. _Idiots, _she remarked in her head as she straightened her back to strut out of the room confidently.

She had just left the classroom when she saw that Shizuru had been stopped by a girl with teal-coloured hair. _I haven't seen her around before. A junior? _Natsuki pondered. She raised one eyebrow when she noticed that the girl, who though was blessed with sharp, pretty features, looked like she might pass out from too much blood in the head any time. _Must be a fan girl, _she concluded dismissively. Her eyes quickly flicked to Shizuru, who was offering one of her genial smiles. _I won't have so much patience if I'm her, _Natsuki mused as she folded her arms and leaned against the wall, her anxiety temporarily forgotten.

"Ah… K—Kuga-san…"

Natsuki immediately recognized the owner of the voice. She narrowed her eyes as she turned to glare at the boy with spiky black hair. _This is not a good time, kendo-boy. _

Takeda scratched the back of his head as he looked shyly at Natsuki. "Ah…"

Natsuki frowned. _What on earth does he want? _She looked at the crimson-eyed girl, who was still engaged in conversation. _It's all your fault that I'm stuck here, _she thought. Shizuru, however, seemed to sense Natsuki's resentful stare. She glanced at Natsuki, before shifting her gaze to Takeda and then back again to the dark-haired girl. And shot her a knowing smirk.

_Don't tell me she– _Natsuki raised her eyebrows in astonishment for a split second before snapping her head to face the other direction. _Kuga, you idiot. Who cares what she thinks anyway? _

"I…" Takeda was still struggling to get a proper sentence out of his mouth. Natsuki gritted her teeth in irritation. She could not understand why the boy had a habit of calling her only to waste her time fumbling over words. After a moment's consideration, however, she realized that she did not actually want to know what Takeda was trying to say. She was therefore rather relieved when she saw Shizuru striding off. Natsuki followed her immediately, leaving a surprised and disappointed boy in her wake.

* * *

As Shizuru made her way down the corridor, her thoughts were on the girl trailing behind her. She could tell that Natsuki was deliberately keeping a distance from her. In fact, the girl had been ignoring her for the whole day.

_What is it now? _Shizuru pondered as she let out a barely audible sigh. _Perhaps she is finally thinking about that incident? But isn't it a little late now? _The corners of her lips arched upwards in a wry smile.

Shizuru descended the stairs quickly while making sure that Natsuki could keep up with her. _This won't do. I need to teach her properly if I don't want trouble from the school administration_. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her blazer, her eyes admiring the sakura trees lining the courtyard. _And Haruka-chan of course. She will probably snicker and say, "so the great Shizuru Fujino has finally met her match?"_ Shizuru was certain that the blonde would have a field day if she were unable to get her job done.

At this thought, Shizuru stopped in her tracks and spun around. She was a little amused to see a look of terror flash across the dark-haired girl's face.

"Kuga-san." Shizuru took on a serious expression. "Are you afraid of me?"

Natsuki gaped at Shizuru. She had not expected the crimson-eyed girl to be so direct. "Of—of course not!" she managed to say.

"Ara, that's great then. I know of a really _quiet _and _secluded _place in school, we can study there."

Natsuki's face paled instantly. "What? But—but—" she stuttered.

Shizuru could barely hide the mirth in her eyes. "Yes?"

Natsuki was in such a frenzied state that she failed to notice the teasing tone in Shizuru's voice. She stood there, speechless as her brain struggled to come up with a response. _Call it off! Call if off! _A voice urged in her head. However, before she could open her mouth, Shizuru spoke.

"Kuga-san," Shizuru said, her voice earnest, "I will not hurt you."

Natsuki was once again taken aback by her words.

Shizuru exhaled heavily as she ran her hand through her glossy hair. "I understand that it is difficult for you to trust me after all that has happened, but please believe me when I say that I meant you no harm," she said as she looked intensely at Natsuki.

"Of course, I do not blame you if you are still suspicious of me. Much as it is my desire to repay your kindness for that night at First District, I will respect your wishes if you prefer not to have the study sessions with me." With that, Shizuru turned her gaze to the floor and let out a helpless sigh.

Natsuki could not help but feel a pang of guilt as she looked at the expression on Shizuru's face. _She does seem sincere enough in helping me, _she thought.

"I…I…" Natsuki said hesitantly, "it…it's okay, we can go ahead with it."

"Really?" Shizuru beamed. _Bingo_, she remarked smugly in her head.

"Well, to set your mind at ease, let's go somewhere which is not too _secluded_?" Shizuru grinned. "Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"Erm..." Natsuki furrowed her brows together. Her thoughts were however interrupted by a loud growling from her stomach. Blood shot up to her head instantly. _Damn it! It's all because I didn't eat much during lunch!_

The crimson-eyed girl coughed into her fist as she tried to hold back her laughter. "Ah, let's grab a bite, okay?"

Natsuki folded her arms and glowered at Shizuru, who in turn seemed totally unfazed by the display of hostility.

Shizuru coughed a few more times into her fist before straightening her back. Her face took on a winsome smile as she inclined her head slightly to the side. "You have a very cute face when you pout."

Natsuki's face instantly exploded. _That's an amazing shade of red_, Shizuru mused as she chuckled, blatantly this time.

"I'm not pouting!" Natsuki insisted even as she turned her face sulkily away from Shizuru.

_Such a child_, Shizuru thought as she shook her head in amusement. _But I'd better get down to business before she changes her mind_. "I apologise. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

Natsuki let out an indignant huff. She then thought for a moment. "There's Lotteria at the town centre."

"Sure. Shall we take a bus there then?"

"There's no need," Natsuki said as she strode pass Shizuru coolly, in the direction of the forest nearby. She kept her face solemn in a last ditch effort at salvaging some dignity from the maddening girl in front of her.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow but followed her wordlessly. They walked for a short distance before coming to a clearing inside the forest. She understood immediately.

"Your bike is splendid," Shizuru said as she folded her arms and admired the blue Ducati in front of her. She turned to look at the dark-haired girl, who was looking at the bike with a smile on her face.

"Kuga-san should smile more."

Natsuki glanced at Shizuru.

"You have a beautiful smile."

Her eyes were not filled with mischief this time, and her smile was sincere and kind. Natsuki quickly averted her gaze. Shizuru had been so forthright in her words that Natsuki did not even blush, even though something unfamiliar stirred within her.

Shizuru released the breath she was unconsciously holding. It was unusual for her to say anything without as much as a thought. But something had struck her just now as she watched the dark-haired girl, such that the words had just spilled out of her mouth, like a natural reaction. She did not, however, wish to cause the girl any discomfort.

"So, are we taking your bike there?" she asked cautiously.

Natsuki nodded. She then frowned. _Shit, I forgot to get changed. _

"Do you need to change into your biker suit?" The crimson-eyed girl seemed to be able to read her mind.

_Bah, forget it. It's just a short ride anyway. _"No need."

"But are you sure you want to give me a ride on the bike? I'll need to hold on _really tightly _to you so that I won't fall off." Shizuru could not resist teasing the girl again.

Natsuki's face was scrunched up as she pondered about her predicament. She had not thought about the issue before. She was unsure whether she would be comfortable having the girl sitting so closely behind her. As a rule, Natsuki did not give rides to others. Not even Nao or Mai. She could not explain why she was willing to give the crimson-eyed girl a ride, more so when they have such a "complicated" relationship. On the other hand, she did not find it possible to back out from her offer, not when the girl would probably have a hundred million things to say about it.

"I…idiot! You won't fall off so easily!" she said as she handed the helmet to Shizuru brusquely.

"Ara, for me? But what about you, Kuga-san?" Shizuru had more or less guessed that Natsuki was not in the habit of having pillion passengers and hence would not have more than one helmet.

"I don't need it," the dark-haired girl said flatly.

Shizuru smiled. Natsuki proved time and time again that beneath her tough exterior lay a gentle heart. _The more so I should ensure she does not get hurt. _"Thanks, Kuga-san, but I'll do without it."

"Suit yourself," Natsuki grumbled as she took back the helmet and put it roughly over her head.

She stood awkwardly in front of her bike. Given the length of her skirt, it would be a little difficult trying to get on it without accidentally exposing herself. And she had no intention of doing so in front of anyone. _Especially _the crimson-eyed girl.

Shizuru raised one eyebrow in curious amusement. She seemed to, however, have guessed Natsuki's concern and turned her head obediently to the side as if she was admiring the lush foliage of the forest. Natsuki quickly seized the opportunity to straddle her leg over the bike. She was quite pleased when she managed to get onto her seat quite quickly. _Not demure enough, but at least I didn't look too stupid_, she thought.

She then turned her head around to look at the girl, who spun around at the same time and responded with a grin on her face. _Let's see how you do it_, Natsuki thought gleefully. She did not think that the crimson-eyed girl had much experience in riding motorbikes.

Shizuru's smile widened. She took out a black rubber band from her pocket and used it to tie her hair up in a ponytail, exposing her creamy white neck. The sunlight filtering through the canopy fell on her skin, such that it seemed to glitter. Natsuki caught herself staring. Luckily for her, her scorching hot face was hidden by her helmet.

Shizuru did not appear to notice that anything was amiss as she strode towards the bike. With one smooth motion, she stepped on one foot, swung her other leg over bike and settled snuggly on the seat. Natsuki gasped in surprise. The action was so swift that it seemed like the girl had lifted off the ground onto the bike. _Why the hell does she make everything look so easy? _she whined privately in her head.

"Kuga-san? We can go now," Shizuru said cheerfully. Natsuki grumpily started the engine and the bike roared off.

Despite her words earlier, the crimson-eyed girl did not cling on to Natsuki. On the contrary, there was barely any body contact between the two. Somehow Shizuru was able to maintain her position on the bike even as it raced along the streets, her two hands resting easily on her knees. While this was, to a certain extent, to the relief of Natsuki, she also felt rather insecure wondering whether her pillion passenger would fall off the bike.

As they waited for the third traffic light to turn in their favour, Natsuki decided that she had to do something about it. "Hold on or you'll fall off," she said gruffly. However, Shizuru seemed not to hear her muffled voice under the helmet. She repeated it again but there was still no reaction from the girl. In the end, Natsuki reached behind and crossly pulled the girl's hand to hold on to her waist.

This incited another bout of chuckling from the girl behind.

Once again, Natsuki was saved from embarrassment by the fact that her face was hidden under the helmet.

* * *

When they finally reached their destination Natsuki breathed a little sigh of relief. She ignored the admiring looks she was attracting as she strode into the fast-food restaurant and headed straight for the seats at its most isolated corner. She plopped herself down carelessly and glared at whoever was gazing in her direction. She was absolutely in no mood for chatting-ups from any pesky guys (or girls) today.

Shizuru appeared to be a lot less concerned about the atmosphere around her as she followed Natsuki into the restaurant. She sat down in front of Natsuki, a good-natured smile on her face as she watched the girl scowl at practically all those present in the restaurant. _She's like Cerberus, _Shizuru mused. She then reevaluated the petulant look on the girl's face. _Scratch that, make it Cerberus junior_.

After successfully extinguishing any amorous gazes in their directions with her icy glares, Natsuki became painfully aware of her empty stomach.

"Please go ahead to get your food," Shizuru said.

The dark-haired girl took her wallet and made to stand up from her seat. A thought flashed in her mind. _Should I ask her if she wants anything? Ugh, idiot. She probably just survives on… erm… _

"If you don't mind, please get me a can of green tea?"

Natsuki frowned. "But…you…?"

"I?" The corners of Shizuru's lips twitched.

"Ne—never mind," Natsuki said as she stalked towards the counter.

…

Shizuru watched Natsuki as the latter chomped down her food with gusto. She was amused that the girl, who had been solely focused on the task of filling her empty tummy, looked up sharply when she reached for the can of green tea. Shizuru could barely conceal her mirth as she took the can of green tea, tore the tab and drank from it in a leisurely manner. The girl's eyes looked like they were about to pop.

"Ah…" Shizuru sighed in satisfaction as she set the can down. She had gulped down half of its contents.

She looked at her dark-haired companion, who was staring slack-jawed at the can.

"Kuga-san? Are you alright?"

"You look like you are literally bursting with questions."

Natsuki sat bolt upright in her seat. Shizuru was right. Her head was indeed so crammed with questions that she thought that it might crack. She narrowed her eyes.

"How— why are you drinking this?"

"Is there something wrong with drinking green tea?"

"No, I mean— you know what I mean!" Natsuki folded her arms in frustration.

"Well, if you mean what I think you mean by saying that I know what you mean," Shizuru grinned, "then the answer is, 'why not'?"

Natsuki was tempted to clutch her head in despair as she struggled to grasp what the girl was saying. Despite finding much joy in teasing her, Shizuru felt a little sorry when she saw the look of utter confusion on the poor girl's face.

Shizuru picked up the can of green tea and rotated it from side to side. "Most of us do indulge in other kinds of _drinks_, you know. Not for sustenance, of course."

Natsuki's eyes widened. "Do…do you eat then?"

"Eat? You mean like the burger you just demolished in two bites?"

Natsuki nodded. She was too intrigued to mind the little jibe.

"Well…" Shizuru said as she stared thoughtfully at the can, "let's put it this way. We can, but we won't."

"To us…food is like paper. You can swallow it if you want to, but nobody does that. Usually." She grinned as she looked up at the dark-haired girl.

Natsuki was surprised that the girl was actually sharing some information. She decided that it was as a good as a time to clarify her doubts.

"That night…" she began hesitantly, "what did you do?"

"Do?" Shizuru raised an eyebrow.

Natsuki grabbed her knees with both hands. She was finding it very difficult to get the words out. "The night we first met," she inhaled heavily, "what did you do to me?"

Shizuru's eyes widened in comprehension. She should have guessed that the girl will get round to this sooner or later.

One corner of her lips pulled upwards to form a lopsided grin. "It was an itsy bitsy nip," Shizuru said as she pinched her forefinger and thumb together to make her point. She figured that there was no need to freak the girl out by telling her _all _the details_. _"But as I had explained to you then, it was necessary for your protection," Shizuru continued, "those people who abducted you…I wouldn't be able to get you out safely if I hadn't done that."

Natsuki frowned as she dropped her gaze to stare at the tabletop. The girl's statement merely confirmed what she had long suspected. She had her suspicions about whether Shizuru was truthful in saying that she had done so for her own good, but she decided to give the girl the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

"But, why…wh—why did you have to do this and that?"

"This and that?" Shizuru was confused for a moment as she looked quizzically at the dark-haired girl. The girl did not reply, although her reddened cheeks were a vital clue to what she meant. As it dawned on her what exactly the girl was referring to, Shizuru contemplated the right words to explain what happened. It was a tricky thing to explain the peculiarities of her kind, in particular how blood and physical intimacy are intertwined. It was clear to Shizuru that the girl had been offered to her as food and _something_ _else_. But telling her this would only lead to more questions and awkwardness.

"Because it was expected," Shizuru said simply.

"Huh?" the girl looked up from her the table "what do you mean?"

"I mean, Kuga-san was tied to the bed. What else was I to do?" Shizuru gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Wh—what?"

"Maybe if they decided to tie you to the chair, it wouldn't have happened. On the other hand, not really…Kuga-san was too _enticing_. I'm sure we could have worked something out." She gave Natsuki a sly grin that caused the latter's skin to prickle.

"I jest, Kuga-san. It was all part of the pretence. To get them to leave us alone so that I can get you out."

Natsuki shot the girl a glare. _Idiot_. _For a moment I thought…_

"And, what about—"

Shizuru raised a hand. "I think that's enough questions for the day? After all, if I tell you more I would have to kill you." She nearly let out a chuckle when she caught a fleeting glimpse of shock in the girl's face before it was replaced by a sulk. _Apparently she doesn't buy my threat? _she thought amusedly.

"So, shall we get started?" Shizuru opened her bag and took out a thin stack of paper, which were stapled together. "Sakomizu-sensei has asked that I help you with this worksheet. How about you try it out and we will run through it together later?"

Natsuki leaned back in her seat and turned to look away coolly. She had no intention to complete any worksheet. All the more when Sakomizu was the one who wanted her to do it.

Shizuru was hardly surprised by Natsuki's reaction. She leaned back similarly on her seat, straightening her arms on the table. "Of course, I understand that you would prefer to spend the rest of the afternoon staring at me."

The girl's eyes bulged. Shizuru tried really hard not to laugh.

"Alright, let's do it this way. If you complete this worksheet, I will allow you to ask one more question."

Natsuki eyed Shizuru suspiciously before snatching over the paper and scribbling on them furiously.

* * *

_So sleepy… _Shizuru thought as she stifled a yawn. She tugged tiredly at her knot of her tie to loosen it. Her legs felt like lead as she trudged along the dimly lit corridor. Her mind vaguely registered the air gradually turning cooler and crispier as she followed the underground passage deeper and deeper into the ground. Much as she would like to throw herself on her bed and get a good rest, she knew for a fact that the sun was about to set, and that meant that she would be kept awake against her will for the rest of evening. _Hours of sleep for today: zero, _she concluded gloomily.

It felt like an eternity before Shizuru finally reached the concourse. As there was still a little time before sundown, the hall was deserted. Although some had, as Midori liked to put it, "evolved" through the ages to be able to defy the punishing rays from the sun, most of Shizuru's kind still had their activities confined to the nighttime. Shizuru herself only fully acquired the ability a few decades ago.

Shizuru's mind was drifting off to a very hazy place when she was jolted awake by a booming voice, which she recognized immediately. "Shizuru!"

The crimson-eyed girl turned towards the source of that voice, her face taking on a warm, if rather weary, smile. "Haruka."

Haruka strode briskly towards Shizuru. She noticed the slightly rumpled shirt and uncharacteristically loosened tie hanging around the girl's neck. "Bubuzuke, were you run over by a truck?" the blonde said merrily as she raised one eyebrow.

"Ara, yes Haruka. I'm afraid that the truck is faring worse than me though," Shizuru replied evenly.

There was a look of befuddlement on Haruka's face as she puzzled over the girl's words. Eventually she knitted her brows tightly together. "How can the truck be in a worse situation if it ran over you, bubuzuke?"

Shizuru rolled her eyes. _Someone needs to be educated on sarcasm._

"It's alright Haruka, what matters is that I'm still alive. For now that is," she said as she stretched her neck.

Haruka was once again baffled. She blinked a few times before deciding that it was better to let the matter go. _As I thought, bubuzuke is not too right in the head, _she mused. She then remembered something.

"Shizuru, have you started your study sessions with Natsuki Kuga yet?"

The crimson-eyed girl resisted letting out a groan, choosing to exhale heavily instead. "Yes, kaichou-san. In fact I just had the first session with her this afternoon."

Haruka looked at the expression on Shizuru's face and sniggered. "So, the great Shizuru Fujino has finally met her match?" she said gleefully.

"Ara, Haruka-chan, you are so predictable."

Haruka frowned. _What on earth is the bubuzuke talking about now? Ah, never mind. _"I bet she gave you a hard time, huh?" she said as she readied herself to give a great bellow of laughter once the crimson-eyed girl admitted defeat.

Shizuru reached within her bag and pulled out a thin stack of paper, which she held out in front of the blonde. "Look here, my dear Haruka-chan," she said, her eyes twinkling.

Haruka had a quick glance at the paper before snatching them over. Her eyes slowly widened in disbelief as she flipped through the pages over and over and again.

She was looking at a worksheet containing English language exercises. The words "Natsuki Kuga" were scrawled at the top right hand corner of the first page. Every single question in the worksheet had been filled up in legible, though slightly messy handwriting. But in her memory, Natsuki Kuga had never passed up a single piece of work fully completed. She knew because this was the subject of many a teacher's complaints.

"Wha—you—how did you?" she stammered.

"As usual Haruka-chan, I have my ways." Shizuru winked. "Anyway, our deal Haruka-chan?"

"Wha…what?" Haruka said, taking a step back.

"Say it." Shizuru took a step forward, a devilish grin spreading across her face.

"No…no way!"

"Ara, is Haruka-chan reneging on her word? She's the one who said she'll do it if I can get Natsuki Kuga to listen to me," Shizuru said as she folded her arms.

"Ugh," Haruka gritted her teeth in frustration. Much as she did not want to comply with the crimson-eyed girl's wishes, her _principles _simply would not let her eat her words.

"I…Shi…no…" she mumbled under her breath.

"Eh? You have to speak louder, Haruka-chan," Shizuru said as she raised one eyebrow at the blonde.

"I…heart…no…" she said again.

"Oh come on, Haruka-chan, I thought that your lung power is legendary?"

"I HEART SHIZURU FUJINO!" Haruka shouted at the top of the voice. The echoes took a few seconds to die down in the cavernous hall.

"Aww, that's sweet," Shizuru said happily as she patted the blonde on her head. The blonde turned her face away testily.

"Go on."

Haruka stared at her crimson-eyed friend. "WHAT?"

"Ara, no fangirl is complete without some squealing, yes? And I do remember it being part of the deal." Shizuru blinked innocently at Haruka, who looked like she was threatening to ignite.

_Urgh…...! _Haruka cried in her head. The kaichou shouts, yells, screams, or even shrieks. She does not, _does not_ _squeal_!

"I'm waiting, Haruka-chan. You're a woman of your word, right?" Shizuru said as she drummed her fingers on one arm.

_For the sake of my reputation! _Haruka clenched both of her fists. And squealed.

The sound that Haruka produced could only be described as a banshee falling on a giant pig.

Shizuru guffawed so hard that she doubled over, her hands clutching her sides.

Haruka thought that she was about to tear her hair out. Her blood rushed to her face in embarrassment. "DAMN BUBUZUKE!" she yelled. Shizuru only laughed even harder.

"Oh, what a pleasant surprise," the warm rich baritone echoed through the hall.

The two girls stiffened at once. They turned in unison to face the intruder behind them.

The man was wearing a wide smile on his face, even though it did not reach his eyes. Shizuru plastered on an equally gracious smile as she opened her mouth to speak. "Sergay-san," she said slowly.

Sergay eyed the two girls before him. Haruka was staring at him with obvious distaste, while the other girl was wearing a smile. But he knew better. "Good evening to you, Shizuru-san, Haruka-san." He tipped his head elegantly. Haruka ignored him while Shizuru's smile grew even wider.

"I apologise for not welcoming you back earlier, Shizuru-san. I have been very busy with Ministry business, you see," Sergay said with a rueful smile.

"Nevertheless, Shizuru-san, I hope that you were _pleased_ with the gift I had prepared for you."

Shizuru's eyes widened for a split second before she regained her cool composure. _So it was you_, she thought, _I should have guessed. _

"That was incredibly thoughtful of you, Sergay-san. I must say that she was terribly _delicious_." Shizuru maintained a serene expression even as her voice was dripping with menace.

"Ah, that's great. I'm glad to know that there are some of us who still respect the Old Ways," he said as he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling thoughtfully, "unlike _some others_, who do not seem to know any shame." His eyes flicked quickly to Haruka and back.

Haruka, who had been growing irritable by the second in the man's presence, jerked in response to his ill-concealed taunt. Shizuru quickly grabbed her arm to restrain her. "Haruka," she whispered firmly. Haruka seethed with rage as she glowered at Sergay.

Sergay grinned when he saw the reaction he was getting from Haruka. "Well, then, I must get back to business now. Have a pleasant evening," he bowed suavely before walking away.

Shizuru could feel Haruka shaking as she watched the man retreat into one of the corridors. When the man finally disappeared from view, she released Haruka's arm. The latter turned to glare at her. "Why did you stop me? I should have beaten that bastard to pulp!" she yelled.

Shizuru frowned. "Haruka, he wanted you to be angry. Attacking him would only mean falling into his trap and you would be severely punished."

Haruka growled.

Shizuru let out a sigh. She knew that it was not a good time but she had to say it. "Haruka, I've been meaning to talk to you about this. About Kikukawa-san."

"What do you mean?" Haruka looked at Shizuru. Her expression darkened when she saw the look on the latter's face. "Don't tell me that you agree with those traditionalist bastards!"

"Haruka—"

"Look, even shukun-sama does not have an issue with my relationship with Yukino," Haruka snapped.

"Haruka. That is not my concern." Shizuru said as she looked at Haruka intensely. "And Midori…She does not _understand_."

Haruka recognized the sorrow in Shizuru's eyes. Her face softened.

"I…I just don't want you to get hurt," Shizuru said quietly as she dropped her gaze to the ground.

"Shizuru…I…" Haruka opened her mouth a few times but she could not find anything to say.

Shizuru took a deep breath. "What would you do, Haruka? What would you do when the time comes? Are you prepared to make that decision?"

"I…I haven't thought about it." Haruka turned and took a tentative step. "But I have time. We have time," she said as she walked away.

While Shizuru listened to the sound of her friend's footsteps dissipate, she lifted one hand and stared at the open palm before her. She furrowed her brows as she slowly clenched her palm, forming a tight fist.

An image of a girl with long brown hair flashed in her mind.

_Will you…be able to let her go? _

_

* * *

_A/N: Alright, folks. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I am feeling very brain-dead now and I should sleep before I start typing out some nonsense (which I apparently am doing already). 'Til the next time! _  
_


	6. Chapter 6: Affinity

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

**

* * *

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**Chapter 6: Affinity  
**

The man gasped as the dark figure closed in on him. His hands clawed desperately at his assailant for a brief moment before finally sagging to his sides. In mere seconds, his entire life was drained out of him.

The figure released the man and his body instantly slumped to the ground. The figure took a step back, her blazing eyes gradually fading to softly glowing crimson as she looked at the man stolidly. She would need to find a place to dispose the body. And she would need to be cautious. Although she had kept her feedings to once a fortnight, and had made sure to prey on only the homeless and the destitute, it was nevertheless dangerous times for her kind. Fortunately, the marks would fade within the next twenty-four hours, so she would merely have to ensure that the body was not found before then.

She was calmly contemplating the possible places to conceal the body when her ears suddenly pricked at an unfamiliar noise. She grabbed hold of the man's body with one hand and pulled it to lean against the corner of the alley, where it was well hidden in the shadows. She then turned and effortlessly scaled up the side of the building, landing on the sloping tiled roof with nary a sound.

She quickly surveyed her surroundings. It was a black night. Thick layers of clouds shrouded the moon, leaving the deserted streets of Edo in darkness. The few burning torches scattered across the city struggled against the gloom, their flames appearing like flickering stars from afar. Satisfied that not a single soul had discovered her, she closed her eyes and took in a heavy dose of the cool and still air. Her brows were furrowed as she concentrated on locating the source of the noise.

It was very faint, but it could not escape her unnaturally sharp sense of hearing. She ran lightly over the tiled roof, silently leaping from one roof to another with extraordinary swiftness. At last, she landed with a crouch on top of a tall wall surrounding a large estate. She could tell from the size of the grounds that it belonged to a rich and powerful man in Edo, possibly a daimyo, but she was not in the least concerned.

She could hear it much clearer now. The delicate, melancholic sound of the koto. She squinted at the center of the compound a distance away, where the sound was emanating from. Her keen eyesight, however, was no match for the pitch-blackness that had descended upon the city. A frown appeared on her face as she considered the situation. She could proceed further into the compound, but that would be done at the risk of being detected by its occupants. Nevertheless, her body had made up its mind a long time ago, and she took a tentative step forward.

At that precise moment, the clouds parted. Moonlight from the heavens spilled on the land, illuminating the rows of white houses that made up the city, and revealing the girl playing the koto in the middle of the courtyard. The girl was dressed in an elaborate kimono, with her long brown hair let down and gently dancing with the breeze. Her fine features held a pensive expression as her fingers moved expertly over the strings of the instrument. The stirring melody that it produced, together with the light reflecting off her pale skin, clothed her with an ethereal aura.

_Like a flower blooming under the moonlight.  
_

_

* * *

_

"Shizuru."

"Shizuru."

"Shizuru."

The crimson-eyed girl blinked a few times before she finally registered that someone had called her name. She looked up to see a pair of golden eyes staring at her with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Shizuru pushed against the armrest to straighten herself up on the seat. She then closed the book that was left open on her lap and placed it on the side table. "Yes I'm okay, Midori," she said as she ran her hand wearily through her hair. She had a quick glance at the scenery outside the window of the library. Dawn was breaking soon.

There was a slight crease between Midori's brows. "Are you sure? You've been staring into space for the last ten minutes. I think I called you at least a hundred times before you responded." She walked to the chair across Shizuru and sat down. "What were you thinking about?"

"I was…thinking about Haruka," Shizuru lied.

Midori looked unconvinced, but she knew that she would not be able get anything out of the crimson-eyed girl as long as she was not willing to tell. "Well, what about it?"

"We met Sergay a few weeks back, while you were away. He deliberately provoked her regarding Kikukawa-san."

Midori narrowed her eyes. "As expected. How did Haruka-chan take it?"

"She flew into a rage." Shizuru frowned slightly at the memory. "But thankfully I was able to restrain her."

"Yes, that is most fortunate," Midori said as she leaned her chin against her palm. "Really, that bastard is such a troublemaker. He's been giving me enough problems at the Ministry these days, vetoing this and vetoing that. I wonder what Nina-chan sees in him." She paused for a moment as something hit her. "Say, doesn't that make that bastard a pedophile as well? Nina is so young!" Midori's eyes were wide with astonishment.

Shizuru could not help but chuckle. "Ara, in that case Haruka-chan is a pedophile as well."

Midori was perplexed for an instant before it dawned on her what Shizuru meant. "Shizuru-chan! We're not that old, okay? Not that old!"

"If you say so," Shizuru said with a good-natured shrug.

Midori twisted her mouth to the side in mock annoyance before taking on a serious expression. "On another note, Shizuru, how are the investigations going?"

Shizuru exhaled as she leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes. "Still nothing much. Based on the information I have gathered, most of the missing were last seen wasted at a bar or a club. It's not very helpful, given that the First and Second Districts are basically made up of watering holes…" She opened her eyes and gazed at Midori. "But it does appear that the attackers were targeting the intoxicated. Hopefully we will have a breakthrough soon."

Midori tilted her head to the side and let out a heavy sigh. "This is such a headache. It's causing a big hoo-ha in the Ministry now. I fear that there will be more trouble in the near future."

The two shared a moment of silence until the crimson-eyed girl spoke. "Midori," she said, her eyes fixed on the ground before her, "why do you think…that the Banishers are behind this?"

Midori's eyes widened for a split-second before she regained her composure. "I'm not a hundred percent sure. But they have been our mortal enemies for the longest time…and it is unlikely that they would have died out completely."

There was the slightest flinch in Shizuru, which Midori would not have caught if she had not known her so well.

"Shizuru, are you sure that you want to continue the investigations?" she asked gently. The crimson-eyed girl looked up at her immediately. "I can get someone else to do it. Haruka-chan, for instance."

Shizuru lowered her gaze to the ground again. "There's no need," she said calmly.

"In fact, I'm thinking that we should take action if there is no breakthrough soon."

Midori peered at the girl before her. The latter wore an inscrutable expression on her face, and her voice was even and devoid of any emotion. _She's doing it again_, Midori thought as a wave of uneasiness washed over her. She sat forward in her seat. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, like a bait."

There was a flash of alarm in Midori's face. She frowned as she took a deep breath. "You can't do that, Shizuru. I'm already having second thoughts about putting you in charge of the investigations." She inched further forward in her seat, staring intensely at the crimson-eyed girl whose gaze was still fixed on the ground. "I've been thinking about it actually," she said in a lower voice, "if it's really the Banishers…you may be in danger."

Shizuru stayed silent for the longest time. "Aren't we all in danger?"

"Shizuru, you know what I mean."

Shizuru slowly shifted her gaze to meet the pair of golden eyes.

"Then, there's clearly no point in hiding."

"Shizuru—"

"There is no escaping it," Shizuru said as her face took on a somber smile.

"Because after all, you reap what you sow."

* * *

Mai hummed a cheerful tune as she stepped onto the verandah of the house. She walked along the faded wooden flooring before stopping in front of a sliding door. She knelt down slowly, resting her back against the cool surface of the bamboo lattice that formed the door.

"Takumi? Are you awake?" she asked softly.

There was a faint rustling sound before a young male voice spoke from behind the door. "Yes I am, oneechan. Don't you have school today?" It sounded a little frail.

Mai giggled. "Silly boy, today is Sunday."

"Oh," Takumi said as he let out a chuckle. "I have lost track of time. Seems like I've been cooped up in this room for far too long."

Mai frowned slightly. She had caught the trace of sadness in his voice. "It's still chilly out here, so it's not good for you to be out," she said gently.

"Yes, I know… How I wish I wasn't so weak, oneechan. Then I wouldn't have to stay indoors all the time, and you wouldn't have to take care of the shrine all by yourself."

"It's alright, I can handle it. And you are not weak. You are just ill, and you will get well soon."

"I have been ill as long as I can remember." There was a long pause. "Sometimes I wonder whether such a life is worth living."

"Takumi!" Mai sat bolt upright as she turned her head to glance sharply at the door. "Do not say things like that!"

"Ah…" It was evident that the boy inside was taken aback by the sudden change in his sister's mood. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Mai's face softened as she turned back to gaze at the scenery before her. The sun had risen halfway in the horizon, its rays of golden light seeping through the foliage of the forest that surrounded the house.

"Takumi… you are my only family left in this world. So please do not say such things. I promise you that I will get your illness treated."

There was another spell of silence before the boy spoke. "Oneechan… thank you."

"You know what I'm going to do once I get well?"

Mai perked up instantly. "What?"

"I'm going to bring Akira-chan to the amusement park."

"WHAT? What about your oneechan, Takumi?" Mai whined.

There was flurry of movement inside the room, like a person scrambling to sit up on his bed. "Ah—ah, of—of course I want to go out with oneechan as well!"

Mai covered her mouth with one hand as she laughed. "Okay, don't panic. I'm not angry with you. Of course you would like to go to the amusement park with _Akira-chan_." Her voice was filled with mirth.

"Ah…ah…" Takumi stammered sheepishly. Mai guessed that her brother's face was probably hot with embarrassment now. She chortled again.

"Oneechan, you are my most important person."

Mai's eyes widened with surprise. She glanced at the door instinctively, even though she knew that she would not be able to see the person inside.

Eventually she turned and leaned her head against the door, savoring the gentle warmth of the morning sun.

"You are my most important person too, Takumi."

* * *

_It's freaking freezing, _Nao grumbled in her head as she rubbed her two hands together. It is already well into May, but the weather remained chilly.

She was rather relieved when she finally caught sight of the towering vermillion torrii set against the backdrop of lush greenery. Her shoes crunched against the gravel as she quickened her footsteps and passed under the torrii. She continued along the path and soon came to the gently arching wooden bridge that lay elegantly across a stream. As Nao passed over the bridge, her impatience was eased somewhat by the soothing sound of the flowing water. She was thankful that the visitors to the shrine have decreased greatly over the past few weeks; she was not in the least interested in elbowing her way there.

Nao reached the end of the bridge and trudged on gravel for a while more before arriving in front of a flight of steps up the hill. The steps were flanked on both sides by neat rows of stone lanterns, a testament to the enduring popularity of the shrine. She cursed silently under her breath as she climbed up the stairs, her only consolation being that it was cold and therefore she did not end up sweaty from her exertion.

After what Nao considered as a gazillion years, she found herself at the top of the steps under another torrii. Even though she had been to the shrine a number of times, she still could not resist feeling a little amazed at the sight before her. At the center of a large clearing stood the main hall built in ancient Japanese style, its wooden beams and pillars having long faded from age. The building blended in seamlessly with the dense forest behind. A fair number of people were milling around the area, some of them performing the cleansing ritual at the small pavilion in preparation of going to the hall to pray, while some others were busily writing their wishes on the wooden tablets to be left at the shrine.

The objective of Nao's visit was not to pray, though she decided that she might just drop by the hall later to do so anyway. She walked to the left of the hall, up a small winding path that led to another area of the forest, where a traditional Japanese house stood. It was where the priests of the shrine lived.

Nao was pleased to see that the person she was looking for was where she had expected her to be. "Mai!" she called as she hurried towards the house.

The girl sitting on the verandah outside the house turned and smiled as she stood up. She looked striking in her white chihaya and red hibakama, the traditional dress for mikos. Despite her attire, she jumped off the verandah and walked towards her friend. "Nao," she said beaming, "why are you here?"

"To bring you your assignment and notes, what else," Nao said flatly. She took out a stack of paper from her bag and passed it to Mai. _I'm freaking climbing mountains to do that as well_.

"Ah, thanks very much! You are such a good friend," Mai said sweetly as she hooked one arm around Nao's shoulder.

Nao folded her arms haughtily. "Don't need to suck up to me," she said. "But seriously, you've been missing quite a number of classes. Isn't the springtime crowd gone? I didn't see many visitors today."

Mai sighed. "Yes I know, but there's still a lot of work to be done at the shrine. Ojisan can't handle them on his own." Although Mai referred to the kannushi of the shrine as her uncle, Nao knew that he was in fact a good friend of Mai's father, and had adopted Mai after the untimely passing of her parents.

"And, Takumi has not been well lately too."

Nao raised an eyebrow. She has rarely seen Mai's sickly younger brother as he was always confined indoors. She has, however, heard Mai mention him often enough to know that the former cared deeply for him. From what she gathered, Mai's brother was struck with an illness related to the blood shortly after he was born and has not fully recovered since.

"Ah, but I'm sure he'll get well soon," Mai said as she flashed a winsome smile. "Come, let's get inside before you freeze to death." She took Nao's arm and pulled her towards the other side of the house.

Nao felt somewhat guilty for failing to say something comforting. _It can't be helped, I'm not trained in that aspect! _she thought glumly as Mai climbed up the steps onto the verandah and pushed the sliding door open. All the same, she admired Mai for her strength and eternal optimism. Nao was aware that despite the popularity of the shrine and its large number of devotees, Mai and her family were not well to do, having spent most of their money seeking treatment for Takumi. Other than juggling her studies and her duties as a miko at the shrine, the orange-haired girl also worked part-time at a restaurant in town during the shrine's off-peak season. She was, in short, a superwoman.

Nao followed Mai into the room, where she promptly plopped herself down on the tatami-covered floor. Mai slid the door shut. "Some tea?" she said merrily as she went to a small table in the corner of the room, took two cups and poured some hot water from a teapot into them. She then passed one cup to Nao, who took it and drank from it gratefully.

Nao let out a satisfied sigh as the warmth spread through her body. She stretched her legs out, wriggling her toes. Mai, on the other hand, knelt down gracefully on the floor. _She's totally different when she's in miko-mode_, Nao mused as she watched her friend. _Fake demure! _A grin broke out on her face.

"Stop giving me that creepy look, Nao," Mai said as she looked at the redhead amusedly. Nao scowled in return.

"So, how's Natsuki doing? I hardly get to see her these days."

"She's as stupid as always."

"Nao," Mai said as she shot Nao a reproving look. The latter merely shrugged.

"Anyway, she's always hanging around that weird girl nowadays."

Mai blinked. "You mean Shizuru-san?" Her face suddenly lit up. "Oh yes, I remember! She's supposed to help her with her English, right?"

Nao was rather impressed at how Mai could transform from miko-mode to busybody-mode in a matter of a few seconds. "Yeah, yeah. It was supposed to be once a week, but that fatty Sakomizu upped it to three times a week instead."

"Oh! Natsuki must be furious!"

Nao grimaced slightly. "She doesn't seem to be too furious…" she muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Mai did not manage to catch what the redhead said.

"I don't know, Kuga didn't say anything."

"Really?" Mai looked at Nao suspiciously. "I would have expected Natsuki to kick up a big fuss."

Nao sighed. "Yeah, I'm serious." She thought for a moment and decided to say it. "I think something's wrong with Kuga."

"What? Did something bad happen to her?" Mai's tone was rather agitated as she leaned forward in her seat.

"Chill, chill!" Nao said quickly. "Nothing happened to her." She mentally slapped herself for having forgotten that Mai had overprotective tendencies, like a hen defending her brood of chicks.

"I… I just find it kinda strange, you know. Do you remember how long it took for you to become friends with her?" Nao said as she tucked in her legs to sit cross-legged on the floor.

Mai stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Ah, let's see, I met Natsuki in the first year of middle school… And you transferred to our class in the second year of middle school…" Her face was scrunched up as she scratched her chin distractedly. "And we only started talking in the first year of high school…"

"Of course, you and Natsuki only started _acting civil _sometime last year."

Nao rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The point is, it takes a goddamn long time for that woman to open up to anyone."

Mai looked at her blankly. It was clear that she did not know what her friend was getting at. Nao resisted letting out a groan as she rubbed her face irritably. She herself did not quite know how to put it. "That Fujino, somehow she has gotten through to her already."

Mai's eyes widened. She then burst out in a loud guffaw. "Are you jealous, Nao?"

"No, I'm not!" Nao yelled at the top of her voice. _I knew she would say that! Ugh! _

"Okay, okay, don't shout. My house might collapse," Mai said as she covered her ears.

Nao let out a huff as she folded her arms and turned her head to the side.

Mai smiled as she watched the redhead's display of annoyance. Her two friends were more alike than they would ever admit. "You mean that Natsuki and Shizuru-san are friends already? But isn't that great? It's good that Natsuki is making more friends."

"That's not the point," Nao said blandly. Which was the truth. She admitted that she was, _very very very slightly_, jealous of the two's relationship. But she knew that it was pretty normal for her to feel that way, given that she did consider the dark-haired girl and Mai to be her close friends. It was also not the speed at which the two had gotten acquainted which had made her concerned, although she was really rather surprised.

Nao had actually given much thought to the issue and had concluded that it was more of the atmosphere that the two generated when they are together, the way in which they behaved. More specifically, the way in which Natsuki behaved. Although Shizuru has always conducted herself in a polite and genial manner in class, she seemed to be a lot more at ease in front of Natsuki, and her demeanour much warmer. As for Natsuki, Nao has long lost count of the number of times she had caught the reddening of the dark-haired girl's face in response to something that Shizuru had said. Nao could not understand how Shizuru had the ability to tease Natsuki without getting her head bitten off. And the worst thing of all? Natsuki did not even seem to mind them much.

"It's not just me. Even the rest of class is starting to feel it," she blurted out.

"Feel what?"

Nao looked at the quizzical expression on Mai's face and realized that she had not verbalized the thoughts in her mind. "Ah, nothing. Anyway, you'll see when you finally come back to class."

Mai pouted. She really had to get back to class as soon as possible.

* * *

Daylight shimmered through the dense canopy, leaving golden specks scattered over the forest floor. The cool, humid air was filled with the subdued humming of its invisible inhabitants. Shizuru let out a small sigh as she strode amongst the tall trees. Her heart was still heavy from the conversation she had with Midori in the morning.

She needed some solace, and she knew where to find it.

A long time ago, before she left for Europe, she had spent many an evening wandering around the little oasis that lay hidden behind Fuuka High School. The garden had fallen into disuse for many years, its existence well forgotten due to its uncanny location in the middle of the forest. But to Shizuru, it was her private paradise.

As the forest began to thin out, Shizuru knew that she had reached her destination. She narrowed her eyes a little as she stepped out in the afternoon sun, her senses awash with the vivid colours and the faint, fresh scent that lingered in the air. The place never failed to lift her mood.

The corners of her lips were gently tugged upwards as she caught sight of the familiar structures in the garden. The centerpiece of the garden was a white stone pavilion built in the baroque style. A little to the side, tucked away in the corner of the garden was a small greenhouse.

She remembered that when she first laid her eyes on the place, the dome-shaped roof of the pavilion had been cloaked with creepers. Similarly, some of the glass windows of the greenhouse had cracked or even shattered, and untamed greenery sprouted from all sides. At present, however, the two structures stood proudly in their pristine form, their smooth surfaces gleaming under the sun.

_I still haven't figured out who has been tending to this place_, Shizuru mused. It had taken her countless evenings then to spruce up the place, and she had expected the garden to return to its former desolation over the last twenty years. She was therefore pleasantly surprised when she set foot again on the grounds on the first day of school. It seemed as if the garden had been frozen in time.

Shizuru leisurely made her way around the rows of low shrubbery that crisscrossed the garden like a maze. Her eyes were soon drawn to the blooming roses and she stopped in front of them.

With her palm outstretched, she gently lifted a blood red rose by wedging its stem between her two fingers. It called to her mind a certain girl with ebony hair and eyes the colour of dark emerald. Shizuru grinned to herself as she recalled her experiences with Natsuki over the past few weeks. The girl was very much like a rose with thorns, her sullen and aloof disposition merely a mask for her sensitive nature. _Why does she put up all these defences?_ Shizuru pondered as she caressed the petals distractedly.

The last thought caused Shizuru to pause. _Now, now, that's not something I should be concerned about,_ she quietly admonished herself. _I'm just supposed to help her with her work to get the school administration off my back_. She knew, nevertheless, that it sounded a little unconvincing. Shizuru had to admit that she had never quite met someone like the girl, and rather enjoyed her company. So much so that she did not protest when Sakomizu increased the study sessions to three times a week.

_Ah, that's not good_. She shook her head lightly. She would not allow herself to get emotionally attached to a Mortal. On the other hand, Sakomizu had promised her that she would only need to tutor Natsuki until the summer break starts in July. _Two more months at most…surely that would not be a problem? _They would go their separate ways, and Natsuki would just be one of the many who had passed through her life without leaving a trace.

Shizuru would have lingered there longer, if not for the noise that drifted over from the other side of the garden. She craned her neck slightly to look in the direction of the noise, and raised her eyebrows when she saw the back of a figure squatting near the flowerbed.

* * *

A bead of sweat trickled down Natsuki's face. As she wiped it away carelessly with the back of her hand, she looked up towards the sky, squinting her eyes as they met the sun's blaze. The day was getting hotter, but she did not mind. On the contrary, she was grateful for the opportunity to sweat a little.

Natsuki adjusted the straps of her denim overalls before turning back to her task. As her hands worked dexterously to pull out the weeds from the flowerbed, her mind was somewhere else. Or on someone else, to be exact.

"…so, you take out X and square root this… there, Q.E.D."

The dark-haired girl nodded mutely as she chewed on one end of her pencil. She had to admit that mathematics seemed a lot easier with Shizuru's help.

"Okay, I think that's enough for today," Shizuru said as she put down her pen. She reached out to grab the can of green tea on the table before leaning back against her seat. She then closed her eyes as she tipped the can and drank whatever was left of its contents in one gulp.

Natsuki looked up at the crimson-eyed girl and felt a little guilty. Although the study session had consisted of the usual teasing by Shizuru coupled with Natsuki's exasperated explosions, the former's eyes and voice betrayed her exhaustion. Shizuru had said that she needed to tutor her in order to make up for her poor attendance in class, but it was evident that the study sessions were more demanding than attending class. Shizuru, however, had not uttered a word of complaint, not even when Sakomizu asked that there be three sessions a week covering all her subjects.

"Kuga-san?" Shizuru asked with a quizzical expression on her face. "We can go now."

Natsuki was rudely jolted out of her reverie, only to realize that she had been staring at the girl for the past minute. A pink tinge appeared on her cheeks as she scrambled to pack her things into her bag. This elicited a soft chuckle from Shizuru. "What?" Natsuki asked tersely, expecting the girl to launch into yet another tease-the-Natsuki exercise. To her surprise, Shizuru merely shrugged with a tired smile before turning her attention to the passersby outside the fastfood restaurant. Natsuki frowned.

The sun was setting by the time they stepped out of the Mister Donut outlet at the town centre.

"Well, see you next week then, Kuga-san." Shizuru gave a nod and turned to leave.

Natsuki, who had been chewing on her lower lip nervously, was startled out of her thoughts. "Ah… Oi!"

The crimson-eyed girl looked back with a mildly amused expression. "Yes?"

"Ah…ah…" Natsuki found it ridiculously hard to get the words out. _What the hell is wrong with me? _she thought irritably. It was extremely unlike her to be tongue-tied.

Shizuru waited patiently for Natsuki to speak, even though she slowly arched up an eyebrow in a playful manner.

"You…you can call me Natsuki."

There was a flash of astonishment in Shizuru's face. She eventually broke out in a warm smile. "Natsuki," she said softly.

Natsuki felt her heartbeat quicken at the girl calling her name. It was a strange, strange sensation. Then she realized something. "Eh…eh…" she stammered.

"Well then, Natsuki, I'll see you in school," Shizuru said cheerfully as she turned around.

"O—Oi!" Natsuki managed to croak. _I didn't say she could drop the honorific! _

Shizuru turned back with a mischievous grin. "Ara, I have a name, _Na-tsu-ki_. Call me Shizuru, okay?" She gave a lazy wave with her hand as she strolled off in the direction of the setting sun, leaving a speechless girl behind.

Natsuki let out an indignant huff as her mind was brought back to the present. She picked up her hand shovel and rolled the handle idly around her palm. She opened her mouth a few times, but no words came out. Finally she took a deep breath. "Shi…zuru." It was almost a whisper.

She could feel the blood rushing up to her head.

_What the hell am I embarrassed for? _Natsuki thought as she stuck her hand shovel in the soil forcefully.

"Are you calling me?"

Natsuki snapped her head to the left. She let out a strangled cry before falling backwards to sit on the ground. "Y—you…"

The crimson-eyed girl was staring at her as if she was the most amusing thing in the world.

"You... Don't creep up on me like that!" Natsuki could still feel her heart racing. She had almost gotten a heart attack when she turned around and saw Shizuru wearing a devilish grin, her flawless face merely inches away from Natsuki's.

"My apologies," Shizuru said as she stood up. It would have sounded a lot more sincere if not for the fact that her eyes were twinkling mischievously.

Shizuru extended a hand to the dark-haired girl who was still sitting on the ground, but Natsuki simply glowered at her before standing up on her own. Shizuru frowned a little before retracting her hand. "I'm really sorry, I won't do it again," she said earnestly.

Natsuki stood with her arms folded and her eyes looking away from Shizuru. Her annoyance, however, had subsided as fast as it came. She made a muffled noise as one last display of her displeasure before shifting her gaze to the crimson-eyed girl.

Natsuki noticed that Shizuru was wearing a loose-fitting lavender shirt with her sleeves rolled up, and faded skinny jeans that was ripped at one knee. For a brief moment she wondered how such a simple get-up could look so appealing. _Gah, you are such an idiot Kuga! _Natsuki scolded in her head when she realized what she had been thinking. What she did not know was that she had unconsciously scrunched up her face while mentally berating herself.

Shizuru coughed into her fist a few times. "What?" Natsuki barked. She knew only too well by now that Shizuru was merely trying to stifle her laughter. But as soon as she spoke, she regretted it.

"Ara, I can't help it. Natsuki is too adorable."

_Not again! _Natsuki thought bitterly. Even though it has happened numerous times before, her stomach fluttered in response to Shizuru's comment and she could not prevent the burning flush from erupting on her face.

Shizuru guffawed even louder. She had long concluded that Natsuki was allergic to words such as "cute" and "adorable". She had then seized every available opportunity to tease the girl, and was pleased to note that they had exacted the same hilarious reaction from girl every time. Not that she did not mean what she said, though.

Shizuru knew from her past experiences with Natsuki just how far she should push it. She would not want the dark-haired girl to end up sulking again. As her laughter abated, Shizuru's eyes quickly flicked to the hand shovel buried deep in the soil. She raised her eyebrows. Natsuki had clearly been gardening. _She's the one? _Shizuru thought in amazement.

Natsuki was focusing intensely on patting the dirt off her overalls, which she wore over a white t-shirt. "What are you doing here?" she asked, more curtly than she intended. The strange feeling in her stomach was affecting her.

Shizuru was unfazed and her smile remained. "Can't I come to the garden?"

Natsuki pursed her lips and kept silent. She did not mean to be rude. It was just that she had never seen another student come to the place before.

One early summer day during her second year in middle school, Natsuki was in a terrible mood. She skipped class, and wandered aimlessly around the school grounds before deciding to venture into the forest. Most students had kept out of the forest as it was rumoured that all kinds of evil spirits resided within. But Natsuki was not afraid. She traveled deeper and deeper into the forest, until she suddenly came to a clearing. Though the garden was in shambles, Natsuki was fascinated. She then spent the rest of the year cleaning up the place and tending to the plants. By the time she reached high school, the garden was flourishing. Nevertheless she kept it a secret, even from Mai and Nao, making her visits only on weekends. She was not comfortable with sharing her small haven with anyone.

"Have you been looking after this place? All by yourself?"

Natsuki nodded.

Shizuru was truly impressed. "You are really good at it. The garden is beautiful."

Natsuki felt a swell of pride. "I had some help in the beginning," she said honestly.

Seeing the quizzical look on Shizuru's face, she continued. "From Sakomizu."

As Natsuki had no experience in gardening, she had grudgingly approached Sakomizu for advice, even though she refused to divulge anything else to the portly man. Luckily, Sakomizu knew her well enough not to press the issue, and instead felt glad that the girl had finally found something to occupy her time with.

"Sakomizu-sensei?" Shizuru was surprised, as Natsuki had seemed to be always at loggerheads with her teacher. "I didn't think that you and Sakomizu-sensei were close."

"He…" Natsuki said hesitantly, "is my guardian."

She did not know why she was revealing such details to the crimson-eyed girl, especially a secret that is so closely guarded that only Mai and Nao were privy to it. She braced herself for the barrage of questions that would surely follow.

Shizuru was again taken aback by the revelation. _Did something happen to her parents? _she thought as a slight frown came over her face. She noticed that the girl was looking awkwardly away. Despite her curiousity, Shizuru did not wish to probe for details. She believed that Natsuki would tell her whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted to.

"So, you like gardening?"

"Huh?" Natsuki blinked in disbelief. "Err… It's alright," she said with a shrug.

"I mean no offence, but you do not look like the type who will like gardening. Or flowers." Shizuru said with an amused smile. It was rather uncommon for teenage girls to take an interest in gardening, much less someone with an outlook such as the dark-haired girl's.

"I…didn't used to like it," Natsuki said. "But then someone told me something…"

Shizuru gave her a puzzled look. "Someone told you?"

"Umm…well, more like I read it somewhere. There was this sketchbook I found in the garden. The artist had left a quote inside the sketchbook."

"A sketchbook?"

"Yes." A thought came to her. "Hang on, I'll show it to you." Natsuki ran towards the greenhouse where she disappeared for some time before reappearing with an old battered book in her hand.

The book was bound in leather and its pages were yellowed with age. Natsuki ran her hand lightly over the cover of the book before carefully opening it and flipping through the crisp pages. It contained sketches of various flowers. Although they were merely done in pencil, the skillful strokes and shading employed by the artist made them almost lifelike. Natsuki eventually flipped to the last page and ran her forefinger along the words that were written in elegant handwriting at the bottom. _Beautiful flowers are meant to be loved, as they do their best to bloom in their short lives._

"They're beautiful, aren't they," Natsuki said as her lips widened slightly in an affectionate smile. While exploring the greenhouse in the garden, she had bumped into a rickety shelf that crashed to the ground. It scared the hell out of her, but on the top of the heap she discovered a book covered in thick layers of dust. Natsuki had been immediately enthralled by the drawings inside. However, she knew nothing of the artist, except that the drawings were dated some twenty years ago.

Shizuru looked at Natsuki's expression and grinned. "Ah, they look quite average to me," she said as she tried to take the book from Natsuki's hands for a closer look.

Natsuki withdrew her hands at once and snapped the book shut. "You don't know anything about sketching," she said. She was clearly annoyed by the crimson-eyed girl's comment.

Shizuru raised her eyebrows. "How do you know that I don't know anything about sketching?"

"Well, you can't possibly be good at everything," Natsuki said.

"Oh, does Natsuki think that I'm good in everything else then?"

_Trust her to twist my words around again_, Natsuki thought as she felt the corners of her lips twitch. She nonetheless decided to bestow the crimson-eyed girl with a glare. As usual, Shizuru repaid her with a winsome smile.

"Natsuki," Shizuru said gently, "how about we have our study sessions here from now on?"

Natsuki's eyes widened. She then rubbed her cheek with her palm while giving a small nod of her head. Once again the crimson-eyed girl seemed to be able to read her mind. Natsuki was not blind to the fact that Shizuru had been going out of her way to make her happy, although she was not sure why.

There was a chuckle from Shizuru. Natsuki looked up.

"Ah, you have something on your face," Shizuru said as she pointed at Natsuki's cheek.

"Where? Where?" Natsuki said as she frantically brushed her cheek with her hand.

Shizuru chortled even louder. The dark-haired girl had successfully smudged her face further with her dirty hand, resulting in a smear across her cheek.

"What…" Natsuki growled as she stared at the laughing girl.

"Come, let me help you," Shizuru said genially as she stepped forward. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around Natsuki's cheek before wiping off the smudge with her thumb. "There you go," she said as she released the girl's face and took a step back.

Natsuki realized that she had stopped breathing when Shizuru's hand touched her cheek. The cool contact had sent a jolt of electricity down her body, and she could feel her face heating up. It was… not exactly an unpleasant feeling.

Shizuru could still feel the warmth on the tips of her fingers as she let her hand drop to her side. She clenched her hand slightly, as if to hold in the heat a little longer. She was, however, not aware of her own action as she was quickly distracted by the sight of the hot tomato in front of her. Natsuki had turned her head abruptly to the side, but her reddened ear gave her away.

The two stood there for a quiet moment, basking in the peculiar yet not uncomfortable atmosphere that surrounded them.

Shizuru eventually broke the silence. "How about I help you with the gardening?" she said jovially, pushing up her sleeves while walking towards the greenhouse.

As Natsuki watched the girl's shrinking back, her hand went up to her cheek instinctively, feeling the remnants of the cool touch. It caused her heart to skip.

* * *

Nao folded her arms as she leaned against the wall. She was getting increasingly annoyed at the leery looks being shot her way by the occasional passerby. She glanced at her watch and frowned. It was already 2.15 am. _Why is she not out yet? That jerk better not be keeping her again…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a clicking sound. Nao immediately straightened herself up and peered at the door on her right. She felt a sense of relief as she saw the figure step out of the door into the dimly lit alley.

"Okaasan".

The woman turned to look at Nao and blinked. The look of astonishment in her face was quickly replaced by a grimace. "Nao? Why are you here?" she said as she walked towards her daughter, her hands fumbling to remove the tag on her shirt, which read "Minako Yuuki".

Nao's heart ached a little as she looked at the older woman. Her fiery red hair was tied up in a messy bun, with some loose strands dangling at the back of her neck and at the sides of her cheeks. Her once-pretty face now appeared tired and gaunt, and the make-up she applied barely concealed her pale complexion and the dark rings under her eyes.

"I thought I might come pick you up."

The furrows between Minako's brows deepened. "It's not safe for you to come to such places, especially when it's so late in the night…" she chided. Upon catching the dejected look on her daughter's face, however, her expression softened. "But I'm still glad to see you," she said as she took Nao by the arm. "Come, let's go home."

The two chatted softly as they strolled arm in arm along the streets of First District. It being a Sunday night, there were not many people in the area. Nao regaled her mother with the latest happenings in school, and the latter would nod with a gentle smile or chuckle once in a while. As Minako let out a hearty laugh after hearing one of her amusing stories, Nao knew that she would continue to defy her mother's wishes and pick her up after work. She hardly got to see her mother, who slogged for long hours as a waitress at various establishments to make ends meet. She therefore treasured every moment she had with her.

The streets became increasingly deserted as Nao and Minako traveled further and further away from the flashing neon lights and thumping music that defined the core of the First District. As it was getting really late, they decided to take a shortcut home and turned into one of the narrow alleys that would lead them out of the area.

Nao was telling Minako about her visit to Mai during the day when latter paused in her steps. The redhead immediately turned to gaze at the direction in which her mother was looking, and saw a man standing in the middle of the alley.

The man, who looked like he was in his mid-thirties, was dressed in a suit overlaid with a dark trench coat. His black hair was neatly slicked back, and his narrow face wore a nasty grin, which widened when he saw Nao looking at him.

Nao turned around at once, only to see a woman with blonde hair standing about ten meters away behind them. She appeared to be slightly younger than the man, and was also wearing a dark trench coat cinched at the waist. Her lips were turned up in a winsome smile, although the malicious glint in her eyes said otherwise.

"What the hell…" Nao muttered under her breath as she was overcome with dread. She felt a hand tighten around her arm, and her eyes quickly flicked to her mother. Seeing her ashen face, Nao knew that Minako had clearly spotted the two strangers at well.

Without a word, the man and the woman started to close in on them from both ends, causing Nao and her mother to instinctively retreat backwards towards the wall. On seeing their reaction, the man sniggered.

"Ah, don't be afraid of us," he said in a mocking tone as he tilted his head to the side.

"Wh—what do you want? We don't have any money on us," Nao said loudly. She glanced at her mother, who clutched on to her even more tightly with a worried look on her face.

"We don't want money," the woman with blonde hair said with a smirk.

"We just want a late night snack."

"And you two look _very_ delicious."

Nao felt the anger rise within her. _What the hell are they talking about? _She was about to take a step away from the wall when her mother pulled her back.

Minako's voice was trembling slightly as she spoke. "Please… we'll give you whatever money we have, just let us go."

The man and the woman, however, ignored her plea and continued their slow advance.

"So, Tanaka, which one do you want? It's your turn to pick," the woman said brightly.

The man appraised Nao and her mother. Nao recoiled in disgust as his gaze roamed over her body lasciviously. "The younger one, of course, " he said as he finally stopped in front of Nao. He reached out to stroke her hair, "although I love all redheads."

"Don't you dare touch me!" Nao shouted as she slapped his hand away.

"Leave my daughter alone," Minako said as she stepped between Nao and the man. She took out her wallet from her handbag and offered it to the man, her hands slightly shaking. "You can take this."

The man's lips stretched out in an ugly smile before fury clouded his eyes. "I said, I don't want your money!" he yelled as he pushed Minako away. Nao watched in horror as her mother was flung through the air before crashing on the ground a distance away.

"Okaasan!" Nao screamed as she tried to run towards her mother, who was moaning in pain.

The man pinned Nao against the wall. "Oh no, you don't," he said with a sneer as she struggled against his iron grip in vain.

"You bastard! Let me go! LET ME GO!"

"Look what you've done, Tanaka. Now I won't be able to enjoy myself," the blonde woman said as she shook her head in distaste.

The man turned to look at his companion. "Oops, my bad."

Nao looked frantically at her mother. The older woman seemed to have passed out, and a trickle of blood ran down her face. When Nao saw that, she went mad. She turned her face to the side and bit the one of the arms that was pinning her wrist against the wall. The man yelped and his grip loosened. But Nao had barely gotten away when the man grabbed her roughly and threw her back against the wall. He then delivered a hard slap across her face that sent her reeling. Nao could taste copper in her mouth.

"You stupid bitch, I'll make sure that you scream for mercy later," the man said with a voice dripping with malice. He then leaned forward and licked the blood off the corner of Nao's lips. The latter cringed in pure revulsion.

Nao's concern for her mother's wellbeing momentarily vanished when she felt the man shove his hand under her shirt. "NO!" she yelled as she struggled with renewed vigour. _Why is this happening? _she cried repeatedly in her head. She had never been so afraid in her life.

The man's breathing was getting increasingly laboured. "I can't bear it, I need a taste of it first…" his voice trailed off as he pushed himself slightly away from Nao. But the girl's relief was short-lived. Her eyes widened in terror as the man pulled back his lips in a vicious snarl, revealing two pointed canines that could not possibly belong to a human.

"Do you believe in vampires, little girl?" he said with a sinister smile.

_What is going on…? _Nao thought as the man wrenched her head to the side, exposing the smooth skin of her neck. Her body was completely paralysed by fear, and she could only squeeze her eyes shut as the man closed in on her.

The pain that Nao expected did not materialize. She opened her eyes cautiously, to see that the man had turned his head to the side. Both he and his female companion were staring intently at the girl who stood some distance away, whose face was partially obscured by the shadows.

Nao instantly recognised the copperish blonde hair and intense crimson eyes.

_Shizuru… Fujino?_

_

* * *

_

"

"

A/N: Thanks for all the comments/reviews. I'm always happy to read and respond to them.

I must say that I had a really tough time writing (and re-writing) this chapter... to the extent that I didn't think I'll ever publish it. For some strange reason though, I kept getting inspiration for new stories. ANYWAY, I hope you enjoyed it. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the next one will be less painful for me huh? :)


	7. Chapter 7: Indelible

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

* * *

**Chapter 7: Indelible**

Shizuru sat all alone, on the steps at the entrance of the broken down temple.

It was pouring. Heavy sheets of rain cascaded down the sloping tiled roof, surrounding her like a semi-translucent wall. The only thing she could hear was the droning sound of water beating against the earth.

She reached upwards to tug at the overlapping collar of her violet kosode before hugging her knees. Her half-lidded crimson eyes watched impassively as the rain fell and danced on the ground.

To her, it seemed as if the entire world was drowning.

She looked up sharply as her senses were alerted to a foreign presence. A moment later, a brown-haired girl emerged from behind the water curtain and stepped under the shelter, causing her breath to hitch. It was the koto player.

"Ah… What terrible weather," the brown-haired girl mumbled to herself as she closed her bamboo umbrella and placed it against the pillar. She brushed off the water droplets from her long hair, which was worn in a loose ponytail tied up with a simple white ribbon. She then turned her attention to her dark blue kosode, frowning a little as she dabbed at the wet fabric with her handkerchief. When she finally directed her gaze upwards, she let out a gasp.

"Oh, pardon me, I didn't realize there was someone else here".

Shizuru merely turned her head to stare into the rain once more.

"Are you waiting for the rain to stop?" the brown-haired girl said as she slowly approached her, a genial smile on her face.

There was no answer.

The brown-haired girl, however, appeared to be undaunted. She sat down next to Shizuru on the steps, much to the latter's hidden surprise. From the corner of her eye, Shizuru observed the girl sweep a lock of brown hair from her smooth cheek before daintily tucking it behind her ear. She noted, at the back of her mind, that the koto player looked even more alluring up-close.

They sat there silently for some time before the brown-haired girl spoke again. "I've… seen you around before," she said softly. Before promptly giggling at the sight of the slight frown that appeared on Shizuru's face.

"I couldn't help but notice you."

On hearing those words, Shizuru instinctively turned to face the brown-haired girl and watched her hazel eyes widen as their gazes met.

"Your eyes… I have never seen that colour before. They are beautiful."

She stood up so quickly that it startled the brown-haired girl.

"Wait!"

The girl hastily reached out to grab her by the arm. Shizuru flinched at the contact, but did not move away.

"I apologise," the girl said as she gradually released her hold on her arm. "It was rude of me… I have said too much, haven't I?"

Shizuru stood motionlessly in her place. She knew that she should have walked away, but she did not. _It's the rain_, she told herself.

"I don't usually get to talk to people much…" the girl said hesitantly, her voice carrying a tinge of sorrow.

A faint crease appeared between Shizuru's brows. After a period of silence, she wordlessly turned and sat down in the spot she previously occupied. The brown-haired girl's face immediately brightened up, and she took her seat beside her.

"My father… he doesn't permit me to be out of the house. But he doesn't know that I've been sneaking out," she said with a gleeful smile.

Shizuru could not resist it. She tilted her head slightly and shot the brown-haired girl a questioning look.

And so the girl went on, telling her how her mother had passed away from sickness when she was very young. How her father was a strict man, but whom she knew loved her very much. How she disliked the perennial presence of the numerous sword-wielding samurai, who served her father, in her vast residence. And how she loved to play her koto in the middle of night, when no one would disturb her.

Eventually, the rain stopped.

"Some people say it rains because heaven is shedding tears," the brown-haired girl said as she leaned her cheek against her palm. "Don't you think that sounds really sad?"

As usual, there was no response. The girl let out a chuckle. "Ah… I don't know why I'm telling you all these, I don't even know your name." She turned to look at Shizuru, and her lips curled gently upwards when she found the crimson-eyed girl gazing into the distance with a pensive look on her face.

"My name is Akane Higurashi. What's yours?"

Akane was met with stony silence again. "You are really mysterious, aren't you?" she said with a playful grin. She then glanced at Shizuru's violet kosode.

"Well… how about I call you Murasaki?"

Shizuru felt something stir within the depths of her consciousness as she slowly shifted her gaze to the brown-haired girl beside her. For the first time that evening, she spoke.

"Murasaki… I like that."

* * *

There had been a storm a few hours ago and the dampness hung heavily in the air.

Shizuru tucked her hands into her jeans pockets while she walked along the deserted street. A small frown appeared on her attractive face as she effortlessly crossed over a large puddle of water on the ground. Rain always had the effect of conjuring up memories that were best left buried.

_It's supposed to be around this area_, Shizuru thought as she forcibly put an end to her reminiscence to concentrate on her present task. Yamada had informed her that the most recent spate of attacks had taken place in the fringes of the First District, thus she decided to drop by to see if she could find any clues.

As Shizuru continued on her way, her eyes busily scanned her surroundings. Nothing seemed to be amiss. Just as she was about to call it a day, however, her ears picked up a noise emanating from one of the alleys, causing her to pause in her steps. _They're here? _

Shizuru felt her pulse quicken as she hastened towards the entrance of the alley, where she took a deep breath to relax the taut muscles in her body. She then moved steadily into the dimly lit alley, but soon stopped in her tracks. Her gaze drifted from the woman who was lying unconscious on the ground, to the woman with blonde hair standing a distance away, before finally landing on the man further down the alley. She narrowed her eyes as it immediately dawned on her what was happening.

The woman and the man quickly noticed her presence and turned to stare at her warily. The man pushed himself away from the wall, and for a moment Shizuru's eyes widened in shock as she saw the girl who was pinned beneath him. From the look on Nao's face, she knew that she had recognized her as well.

Shizuru's fingers drummed slowly at her sides as she contemplated what to do.

"Who are you?" the woman said. She had evidently guessed that crimson-eyed girl was not a mere Mortal.

Shizuru chose to ignore the question. "This is against the Regulations," she said calmly.

"And you're here to teach us a lesson?" the man sneered. He released his hold on Nao, and the latter slumped to the ground immediately. He then strode towards Shizuru.

The woman, on the other hand, seemed to be a lot more unnerved by Shizuru's appearance. She glanced worriedly at the man as he swept past her.

"We can always share, you know," he said.

Shizuru tilted her head to the right and grinned. "No, thank you. I'm on a diet," she said wryly.

"That's too bad."

With that, the man lunged towards Shizuru.

"Fujino!" Nao managed to cry out.

The man straightened himself. He was standing at where Shizuru was, but the crimson-eyed girl was not there. He had struck at thin air. The look of astonishment in his face was replaced by a malevolent smirk as he turned around. Shizuru was standing a few metres away behind him.

"Oh, _Fujino-sama_, I see."

"Tanaka…" the woman said uncertainly as she flicked her gaze between Shizuru and the man.

The man narrowed his eyes. "We have nothing to fear, Rin."

"Let's see what you've got!" he yelled as he rushed towards Shizuru.

Shizuru stepped towards the right to evade the attack. She was, however, taken aback by the stinging pain in her left forearm. A slit had been torn in her sleeve, revealing a bloody gash underneath. _How can it be? _she pondered as the creases between her brows grew deeper. The man was clearly not even a centurian, but his movements were much faster than expected.

A snicker interrupted her thoughts.

"She's not as impressive as rumoured, eh, Rin?" the man said as he admired the red droplets on the sharp, claw-like nails that now protruded from the tips of his fingers. The woman appeared to take confidence in his words and smiled.

They ran towards her.

The man led the attack and swung his claws at Shizuru, who grabbed his arm with her right hand and delivered a kick to his stomach. This sent him sprawling on the ground. Shizuru then quickly ducked down to avoid the woman's slashing blow from the side, before straightening herself up to elbow her in the face. The woman let out a cry as she fell backwards.

Shizuru barely had time to breathe when the man jumped at her again. This time he managed to leave a scratch of crimson below her right eye before he was thrown against the wall. As Shizuru wiped the blood off her cheek with the back of her hand, the woman thrust her vicious claws at her, forcing her to dodge to the side. Shizuru quickly steadied herself and answered with a left hook, causing the woman to bleed from the lips.

The man had become giddy with excitement when he managed to cut Shizuru's face. He quickly scrambled to his feet and joined his companion in the fray. They tried all ways and means to strike at the crimson-eyed girl, but every single time the latter would deflect their blows and send them crashing against the wall or tumbling on the floor. The man's triumphant smile eventually evolved into a frustrated growl when he realized that they were getting nowhere.

Shizuru took a quick glance at Nao, who was shielding her mother from the conflict with a terrified expression on her face, and grimaced. She had deliberately held back in her attacks, hoping to subdue the man and the woman with the minimum force necessary. Nevertheless, she had merely managed to keep them at bay so far. The situation was getting increasingly worrisome by the second. _It's no good_, she thought, _I have to finish this before they change—_

Her thoughts were disrupted by the man's howling. Shizuru watched as the man sank to the floor on his knees, his body contorting and convulsing. She swiftly glanced at the woman and saw that the same thing was happening to her. Their faces were twisted into a grotesque fashion, with their foreheads pulled backwards to leave their eyes bulging from their sockets. Razor-sharp incisors slowly emerged from their mouths and extended downwards, while their bodies and limbs lengthened and their skins turned a deathly shade of colour. Shizuru clenched her fists. _It's too late. _

The man, or the creature he now was, crouched on the ground with his four limbs. He turned to stare at Shizuru with his glassy black eyes, and a long pointed tongue flicked out to lick his lips. Shizuru did not have to look at the woman to know that she was probably in an identical state.

The crimson-eyed girl exhaled heavily as she considered her options. She had sworn to herself that she would not resort to her other form unless it was absolutely necessary, since even a partial transformation would result in bloodlust raging through her veins. But the man and the woman had proven to possess strength far exceeding what they were supposed to have, and she needed to get Nao and the unconscious woman away as soon as possible.

_It can't be helped then_, Shizuru thought as she closed her eyes. In the dark recesses of her mind, she saw the forbidden gates creak open and willed the overflowing power to surge through her hands. When she finally lifted her eyelids, her slender hands were gnarled and thick black claws extended from the ends of her fingers.

"DIE!" the man shrieked as he pounced on Shizuru.

Shizuru caught the man in mid-air and flung him away. The man crashed onto the ground and slid for a good distance before coming to a stop. She then spun around and grabbed hold of the woman who was charging towards her by the neck and smashed her against the wall. The woman was struggling under Shizuru's tightening grip when the man ran at her again at lightning speed. Shizuru reacted just in time to fend off the blow, though it resulted in several deep gashes on her arm.

The woman took advantage of the loosened grip and struck again. The action would have removed a large chunk of Shizuru's face if not for her extraordinary reflexes. She turned and pressed her back against the wall to evade the attack, only to move quickly to the left as the woman's hand smashed into the wall. Shizuru seized the opportunity to dispatch a hard blow to her stomach, which left her reeling on the ground.

The crimson-eyed girl strode towards the man, who was getting unsteadily to his feet. Although his clothes were covered in patches of blood by this time, he swung at her ferociously with his dangerous claws. Shizuru, on her part, avoided his attacks with ease. She soon spotted an opening and slashed the man across the chest, staining his shirt even further. This was followed by a loud crack as she executed a roundhouse kick to the man's head.

A devilish grin lit up Shizuru's face as she continued to pummel the man relentlessly. The raw energy coursing through her veins clouded her mind and filled her with the overwhelming desire to destroy everything in her path.

She was about to break the man's arm when she heard a high-pitched scream. Shizuru spun around quickly, to see that the woman had seized Nao from the back. Her right arm was wrapped around Nao's shoulders while her left claws were pressing against her neck. Despite Nao's seeming composure, Shizuru could see that the girl was as pale as a sheet and sweating hard.

"Is it worth it, getting hurt over a Mortal?" the woman hissed as she stared intensely at Shizuru. She then dug her claws deeply into Nao's arm, and the redhead could barely prevent herself from crying out in pain as five long slashes were drawn across her flesh, causing it to bleed profusely.

"I'm going to kill her right in front of you."

The corners of the woman's lips were pulled upwards in an ugly snarl as she prepared to tear Nao's throat open with her claws. Given the distance between them, there was no way Shizuru could save the girl in time. Not even if she was an Elder.

However, the woman had hardly moved an inch when she sensed the ominous presence behind her, followed by a voice that felt like icy steel.

"You underestimate me."

_Impossible!_

With a swing of her right arm, Shizuru sliced the woman's head off and it bounced on the floor.

"Rin!" the man screamed. He leapt up and charged at Shizuru with renewed strength. But before he could touch her, Shizuru caught him by the neck with her left hand and lifted him off the ground. She then stabbed her other hand into his chest.

Shizuru could feel the maddening beat of his heart as she held it in her palm.

"Ugh…" the man let out a muffled cry as blood gushed out from the corner of his lips. For a moment his legs flailed around weakly while he clutched desperately at the crushing grip on his neck. Eventually he gave up struggling, and his lips curled up in a nasty smile as he strained to speak.

"Y—you… are… just the same as us… inside."

The fire rampaging in Shizuru seemed to die out immediately. The man forced out a raspy chuckle as he watched her crimson eyes grow cold.

"That's right… _Shizuru Fujino_, _the Demon of Edo_."

He gave one last maniacal laugh, his body trembling as blood streamed down the sides of his neck.

"Rest in peace," Shizuru said quietly, before ripping the man's throbbing heart out from his chest.

* * *

Nao would have thought that she was dreaming, if not for the acute pain in her left arm and the seemingly unstoppable flow of warm, red liquid from her wounds. She slowly got up on her feet and stumbled towards her mother, turning around just in time to see the man collapsing on the ground.

As the man lay lifeless on the floor, his body began to contract and harden. Cracks soon appeared all over the stone-like body, which gradually disintegrated into dust. A sudden wave of dizziness caused Nao to fall on her knees in front of her mother. She had seen the same thing happen to the woman who was decapitated.

Nothing made sense at all.

Nao's pressed her palms against the ground as she tried to steady her ragged breathing. When she looked up, she found the crimson-eyed girl hunched over and leaning against the wall. Her black claws were gripping her arms so tightly that blood was oozing out onto her sleeves. Nao could not see Shizuru's expression because she was standing in the shadows. Nonetheless, she could tell that the girl was in enormous agony.

When Shizuru finally stepped into the light, Nao realized that her bloodstained hands had reverted to their original form, while her blazing crimson eyes had simmered down to resemble dark rubies. As she slowly made her way towards Nao, she wore an impassive look on her face, which appeared even paler than usual.

Nao could see that Shizuru's lavender dress shirt and jeans were torn in several places. She watched in mixed fascination and horror as the girl's broken flesh regenerated and healed as she walked, leaving her with nary a scratch on her smooth skin. It was such that no one would have known that she had been wounded, if not for the fact that the tattered edges of the cloth were stained a deep red.

_Monster…_

Nao instinctively retreated backwards as Shizuru approached her. "Don't come any closer!"

Images of the earlier events flooded her mind. Again and again she was reminded of the terrifying transformations that she had witnessed, as well as the manner in which the three had fought each other, their movements so swift that she could barely follow them. The blood splattered floor, the crumbling brick walls and the broken objects strewn all over… these only served to emphasis how destructive they had been.

_They are all monsters. _

As Shizuru continued to close the distance between them, Nao panicked. The crimson-eyed girl was merely a step away when Nao raised her uninjured hand to strike at her. Shizuru caught her arm easily and crouched down beside the unconscious Minako.

"The wound's not too deep, but she would need a doctor," Shizuru said as she flicked her gaze towards Nao. "As for you… you need to stop the bleeding."

The way in which Shizuru had paused when she looked at her blood-soaked arm did not escape Nao's eyes. She wriggled her hand in a bid to free herself from Shizuru's grasp. To her surprise, Shizuru willingly let go of her arm. The crimson-eyed girl turned her upper body such that she was facing away from Nao. One of her hands moved to her jeans pocket, and traced the outline of a small metal box within. She hesitated for a moment, but did not fish out the box.

"You need to stop it…" Shizuru repeated in a lower voice. There was a loud ripping sound as she tore off the sleeve from her arm. "Here," she said as she offered the cloth to Nao, "tie it up."

Nao looked at Shizuru's extended hand in disbelief. As she made no move to accept it, Shizuru reached behind, took hold of Nao's arm and fastened the cloth just above her wounds. The touch of Shizuru's cold, clammy skin caused Nao to cringe.

Shizuru got to her feet. "I know of a doctor nearby," she said through gritted teeth.

Nao eyed her suspiciously. The girl was clenching her fists and trembling slightly. It was obvious that she was trying her best to restrain herself. From what? Nao was not sure that she wanted to know.

"You have to trust me," Shizuru said in a pleading tone. She paused for a moment to cast a brief glance at Minako. "She… she is your mother?"

"For her sake, please. We need to get to a doctor quickly."

Nao furrowed her brows as she deliberated over the situation. On one hand, she did not think she could trust the crimson-eyed girl. Nevertheless, it was highly possible that there were others like the ones she faced previously lurking in the area. The fact remained that Shizuru had saved them, and it was probably safer to stick with her. Besides, Nao had no idea where to find a doctor at this time of the night.

At last, the redhead shifted her body and made to lift up her mother's shoulders from the ground.

"Let me carry her," Shizuru said as she reached out for Minako, "we'll be able to move faster that way."

Nao instantly moved to block her from her mother. "No."

Shizuru let out a weary sigh. She straightened her back and looked around for a while, before striding over to a pile of dust and clothes on the floor. When she returned, she was bearing a sheathed dagger in her hand. It seemed that the man had been carrying the weapon with him.

"Take it. You can always attack me with this."

Nao took the dagger reluctantly, but did not protest when Shizuru carried her mother on her back and strode briskly towards the exit of the alley.

The redhead immediately chased after her. "Dammit," she cursed under her breath as her fingers tightened around the dagger. She had the feeling that it would be useless in any case; there was no way she could defeat the crimson-eyed girl.

* * *

The silence of the night was disrupted by the noise of incessant pounding on the door.

"Please open up, we need help," Shizuru called as sweat trickled down the side of her face. She and Nao have been standing in front of the poorly lit porch for the last five minutes, but no one answered the door.

Shizuru used the back of her hand to wipe away the tiny beads of perspiration that had formed across her forehead. The florescent lighting caused her to look even more ghastly, and her voice was also a lot shakier than before. She stole a glance at Nao, who was supporting her mother with her shoulders. The redhead had insisted on doing so once they reached their destination, and this was somewhat to Shizuru's relief. Her battered body was reaching its limit, and she was not confident that she could control herself for any much longer.

The crimson-eyed girl was contemplating whether to break down the entrance when she heard the sound of locks sliding open from the other side of the wooden frame. Thereafter the door crept open, revealing a glint of metal.

Nao recognized the object to be a gun and stumbled backwards. In contrast, Shizuru took a step closer to the gate and stared intently into the darkness.

"Sagisawa… sensei. It's me, Shizuru Fujino."

The occupant of the house visibly twitched. After what seemed to be an eternity, the firearm was slowly lowered and the metal gate was swung open.

"Thank you." Shizuru placed one foot into the house and turned around to motion to Nao to follow her. The latter looked apprehensive, but Shizuru knew that she did not have much of a choice.

The crimson-eyed girl followed the figure in front of her through a pitch-dark corridor and winced when they emerged in a brightly illuminated room. As her eyes gradually adjusted to the light, she could see that they were standing in what looked like an infirmary. The place was simply decorated, with two beds divided by a blue curtain as well as some medical equipment scattered around the area.

Shizuru finally took a good look at the woman standing before her. Youko Sagisawa was dressed in a white tank top and khaki pants, her short dark brown hair framing her piercing blue eyes. She exuded a matured woman's sensuality, and was clearly no longer the fourteen year old girl that Shizuru remembered.

Shizuru clenched her jaw as another surge of pain rocked her body. "We need to hurry," she said hoarsely. Youko, who had been observing her and Nao curiously, seemed to realize what was going on. She quickly helped Nao to carry Minako onto the bed, before leading Shizuru through another corridor.

The two did not exchange any words as they breezed through a well concealed door and descended a flight of steps into the basement. In the middle of the room was a heavy metal chair which was bolted to the ground, and Youko signaled Shizuru to sit on it. She then clasped the girl's arms and legs against the chair with a series of metal cuffs.

Shizuru grasped the armrests so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The chair shook violently. "H—hurry…" she managed to utter. Her thirst for blood was threatening to overwhelm her any minute now. And when that happens, all the bolts and chains in the world would not be able to stop her.

At long last, Youko appeared beside her, holding a syringe filled with purple liquid.

"Please excuse me."

Shizuru jerked in response to the sharp pain in her neck, and then there was nothing but darkness.

…

The first thing that greeted Shizuru when she woke up was the soreness in her muscles. However, she felt that she really had nothing much to complain about, given the intense suffering that she had gone through earlier. During her transformation she had been blinded by bloodlust and therefore had not perceived the damage her body had taken. Thereafter the pain had returned two-fold to wreck her, along with the overpowering urge to feed. It had taken all her strength and will to stop herself from going berserk.

_They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger_, she consoled herself, _though obviously they weren't talking about those who are already dead_.The crimson-eyed girl gave a little smirk as she shifted herself into a more comfortable position on the chair, noting that the metal cuffs have already been unfastened.

Her smile turned grim as she reflected on the fight that had taken place in the alley. She would need to contact the Ministry as soon as possible to clean up the mess back there, and she probably has a lot of explaining to do. But more importantly, she needed to speak to Midori about the man and the woman. There was something about their abnormal strength and blatant disregard for the Regulations that made her extremely uneasy.

Shizuru sighed heavily.

"You're awake," a voice spoke from the other corner of the room.

Shizuru turned her gaze towards Youko, who was typing furiously on a laptop at her desk, before it drifted to the empty packets of blood in the bin. "Yes. I am most grateful to you, Sagisawa-sensei."

"I consider myself more of a scientist than a doctor," Youko said evenly as she stood up and closed her laptop. She tucked her hands into the white lab coat that she was wearing and strode towards Shizuru. "How did you find me?"

"Midori told me where to look for you if I run into any trouble," Shizuru said. She could not claim to know the woman well, having only met her on a couple of occasions before she left for Europe two decades ago. Nevertheless, she caught the flicker in Youko's blue eyes when she mentioned her Master's name. Perhaps some things cannot be erased by time.

"Sagisawa-sensei, what about—"

"Don't worry, I've treated them. They are resting now." Youko wore a placid expression on her face as she walked away and started packing her medical supplies into a large leather case.

Shizuru rose from her chair and stretched her stiff muscles. After surveying her surroundings, she made her way towards a chest of drawers on the opposite side of the room. The top of the drawers was cluttered with photo frames containing various pictures of Youko as well as two young boys and a man whom Shizuru did not recognise.

Her attention was drawn to one particular photo where all four were present. The man was beaming, with one hand on the shoulder of the young boy standing in front of him and the other arm wrapped snuggly around Youko's waist. The latter was also smiling as she carried an infant, who presumably was the other boy in the rest of the photos.

"That's my husband. He's a history professor at Fuuka University."

The crimson-eyed girl snapped her head around to see Youko wearing a small smile on her face.

"The two boys are my sons. They are in junior school now."

There was an awkward silence in the air as Youko fidgeted with the lapels of her lab coat. Eventually, she took a deep breath.

"How… how is she?"

Shizuru had no doubt whom Youko was referring to. "She is still the same."

"I should have known," Youko said as she let out a chuckle.

The bitterness in the woman's words was unmistakable and it was one of the rare occasions in which Shizuru did not really know what to say. She could only peer into Youko's blue eyes, looking on helplessly as the undercurrents of emotions swirled beneath the surface.

In all her time in existence, Shizuru was well aware of the heartache and sense of powerlessness that came with watching loved ones age and pass away right before her very eyes. She had, however, never really considered how it felt to grow old and feeble, when the person one loved was immortal.

* * *

Haruka frowned as she rubbed her temples. "Take it down!" she called out loudly. Five student council members immediately scrambled to fetch a ladder to remove the gigantic "SF ROCKS MY SOCKS" banner hung at the front of the Fuuka high school building.

_How persistent can these idiots be? _the blonde wondered. She has long lost count of the number of times she had removed such banners and posters from the school grounds, only for them to reappear in the exact same spot the next day. _Do the students have nothing better to do? Maybe it's time to increase the curriculum hours! _Haruka let out a huff and stuck her hands at her hips.

"Fujino-san is really popular," Yukino remarked amusedly as she watched another three student council members on the third storey of the building rush forward to help, while the huge banner threatened to drop and engulf the students who had gathered below to gawk at the spectacle.

Haruka could almost feel her veins popping from her head. Other than having to defend the school buildings from the onslaught of declarations of love on a daily basis, the student council has also been inundated with applications to form societies "dedicated to the study of Fujino-ism". Like Haruka was going to approve of them!

"Stupid bubuzuke is always adding to my problems," she grumbled. Nevertheless she knew deep inside that her friend was not at fault, and had in fact been trying to keep as low a profile as possible in school. Moreover, her perennial tendency to attract admirers was probably more of a hassle to her than it was to Haruka. _At least it's just banners and posters this time_,Haruka thought, _in the sixties we actually had to hire bodyguards just to escort her to and fro school_. She let out an involuntary shudder as she was reminded of the pandemonium then. It was as if The Beatles were in town.

_Perhaps the Ministry should exempt her from compulsory education altogether_, Haruka mused as she gestured to her men to apprehend the group of students who was trying, guerilla-style, to resist the removal of the banner. As a magnet for trouble, Shizuru could never attend lessons at any one school for long. The record so far was a little less than a year. _Which suits that delinquent just fine_, the blonde thought with a sulk. Though the crimson-eyed girl was fond of skipping school to pursue "other interests", she had not once been found to be lacking in her academics. _Or is it the other way round? Gah! _

Just when Haruka thought that her day could not get any worse, she caught sight of another dark-haired delinquent striding across the courtyard. Said girl was, as usual, causing quite a stir amongst the student population. Even the feuding group of student council members and students had temporarily ceased their tussle to admire the sight.

"Stop right there, Natsuki Kuga!" the student council president yelled as she stomped towards Natsuki. The girl merely halted in her steps for a second, before turning to face her with an annoyed expression on her face. Her orange-haired friend seemed to realise that a terrible storm was about to erupt over Fuuka High School, and her eyebrows twitched as she thought frantically on how to defuse the situation.

Haruka felt her blood pressure rising as she appraised the dark-haired girl. Natsuki was wearing a grey hooded sweater with her black pleated skirt, her tie and blazer conspicuously absent.

"Kaichou-san, good afternoon," Mai said cheerily as she stuck her head between the two girls, who literally looked like they were about to bite each other's head off. "Wonderful weather isn't it?"

The distraction failed to work, however, as Haruka knitted her brows. "Tohika-san, good afternoon," she said briefly before turning back to face Natsuki. "Natsuki Kuga, why are you not properly attired?"

Natsuki stared back at the blonde in her most aloof manner. "I am."

Haruka's blood pressure rose to dangerous levels. "You are not! Where's your blazer and tie?"

"I don't know," Natsuki answered nonchalantly. She then wordlessly turned to walk away, completely unappreciative of the fact that the student council president was demonstrating how a human-steam locomotive looked like. Mai nodded her head apologetically at Haruka before scurrying after the dark-haired girl.

Haruka was gritting her teeth so hard that her jaw ached. "Ugggggggghhhhhh…" she growled under her breath as she watched Natsuki leave. Her anger, however, dissipated as soon as she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Haruka-chan," Yukino said gently.

"Where's bubuzuke when I need her?" Haruka said gruffly as she folded her arms. It seemed that only Shizuru had the ability to take Natsuki in hand. Indeed, the school was in an unprecedented mess. While Natsuki's grades had picked up considerably under the crimson-eyed girl's guidance, a large number of students were deliberately flunking their tests in a bid to get the latter appointed as their tutor. Consequently, Natsuki had risen to the ranks of the top ten in the cohort within a single semester. The thought of having to publish those results gave Haruka a massive headache.

"You're the one who has been avoiding her," Yukino said. Which was the absolute truth. Haruka had not spoken to her friend since their last conversation at the concourse. The blonde fidgeted with her tie irritably.

"You're right… I should talk to her…" Haruka muttered as Yukino flashed her an encouraging smile.

* * *

"Wait! Natsuki!"

The dark-haired girl stopped abruptly, causing her friend to collide into her back.

"Ow! Geez, Natsuki, why did you suddenly stop?"

Natsuki did not reply and merely plopped herself on the patch of grass under the tree. It was where they always spent their lunchtime.

Mai massaged her sore nose as she placed the bento boxes on the ground and settled down. She let out a heavy sigh. "Natsuki…"

Natsuki raised her hand. "Stop, Mai. I know what you're going to say."

"You do? Then why do you insist on antagonizing kaichou-san…"

Natsuki rolled her eyes as the rest of her friend's words became a blur. She should have known that once Mai-the-god-of-naggy-ness was invoked, there would be no turning back.

After what Natsuki surmised to be about ten minutes, she heard Mai take a deep breath. "And so, could you please just try to stay out of trouble?"

"Mmm." Natsuki nodded. She was hungry and wanted to get her hands on the bento.

_I don't see what's different about her_, Mai mused as she unpacked the bento boxes, _still such a difficult child_. She handed one to Natsuki.

"Did Nao say why she isn't here today?" Natsuki asked in between bites of her food.

"She sent me a message this morning to say that her mother is unwell and she needs to look after her," Mai said. "Say, shall we visit them this afternoon?"

There was a twitch in Natsuki's face. "I…"

"Yes?" Mai said as she observed her friend. She had not seen this expression before. _What is it called? Awkwardness?_

"I'm busy."

"Busy?" Mai raised her eyebrows. "But I thought you only go to the workshop on Tuesdays and Thursdays?"

"I…I have to study." Natsuki was chewing on her chopsticks while looking resolutely at something far, far away.

Mai blinked a few times before it finally hit her. "OH! YOU MEAN YOUR STUDY SESSIONS WITH SHIZURU-SAN!" she exclaimed.

"M—Mai!" Natsuki turned her head sharply to glare at the orange-haired girl.

"Whoops, sorry," Mai said as she clapped a hand to her mouth. Her outburst had led to several other students in the area to cast inquisitive gazes in their direction.

She suddenly recalled what Nao had told her previously. "Eh, Natsuki, how are things between you and Shizuru-san?"

Natsuki was momentarily stunned. "Wha—What?"

"Na—Natsuki!" Mai grabbed hold of her friend's shoulders.

"What?" the dark-haired girl said as she tried to shrink away.

"Are you okay?" Mai asked worriedly as she pressed her forehead against Natsuki's. "Your forehead is burning! Are you feeling unwell?"

Natsuki pushed her overly passionate friend away. "There's n—nothing wrong with me!"

Mai looked at Natsuki in puzzlement. She had only meant to ask whether it was true that Natsuki and Shizuru were friends. But she had seen the girl's face redden so much that she thought that she was sick. _If not a fever, then…?_

A sly grin slowly crept up on Mai's pretty face. "Natsuki, don't tell me…" she began in a low voice.

Natsuki was wearing an expression that could only be described as a cross between bewilderment and nervousness. She swallowed hard as she looked at the wicked glint in Mai's eyes.

"…that you are a fan of Shizuru-san?"

The dark-haired girl froze. She then started to cough violently. "No, no I'm not!" she tried to say in between chokes.

"It's alright, I understand," Mai said blithely as she patted the girl's back, like a mother pacifying her child.

"No, I'm really not!" Natsuki protested.

"It's okay, schoolgirl crushes are normal." Once again, Natsuki felt that infuriating stroke on her back.

"I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!"

…

"Thanks for the food, Mai," Natsuki said as she stood up.

Mai flashed a winsome smile. "I'll take care of things here, you go on first," she said.

"Okay. See you later."

As Natsuki turned to walk away, Mai was reminded of something. "Oh wait! Natsuki… do you want to stay at my place these two weeks?"

There was a brief questioning look on Natsuki's face before her emerald eyes darkened. "Thanks Mai, but there's no need."

"Well… alright," the orange-haired girl said hesitantly. She knew that her friend would reject her offer, but she nevertheless wanted to try.

When Natsuki finally disappeared from view, Mai sighed. "You can come out now," she said.

There was some rustling in the bushes behind the tree before a boy emerged sheepishly from the vegetation. "Mai."

"You can't keep doing this, Takeda-kun. If Natsuki finds out that you've been spying on her during lunchtime, she'll... she'll send you flying to Timbuktu!"

"Huh?" Takeda said as he rubbed the scar under his left eye, "where's that?"

"Precisely. It's somewhere that you don't even know where!"

Takeda exhaled heavily. "I know it's creepy, Mai, but I can't help it."

Mai looked at the boy in front of her and felt a wee bit sorry for him. _This crazy little thing called love._

Takeda fidgeted for a moment before he suddenly looked up. "Mai, this Shizuru-san you were talking about…"

"Yes?"

"Is she Natsuki's classmate?"

Mai smiled. "Yes, and she's helping Natsuki with her school work," she said happily.

Takeda frowned. He had noticed the change that came over Natsuki when Shizuru's name was mentioned. It was difficult to pinpoint what it meant, but it made him uncomfortable nonetheless. He briefly considered whether to let Mai know that Tomoe was currently head over heels in "love" with the same girl, so much so that her mood would be badly affected whenever the girl was not in school. However, he pictured the withering look that Tomoe would give him if she discovered that he had let out her secret, and held back.

"Shizuru Fujino, huh…" the boy mumbled to himself. He was determined to find out more about this elusive girl.

* * *

The time was 12.06 am, and Natsuki was having that dream again.

It always starts with her, ironically, being awoken in the middle of the night by the commotion coming from outside her room. She slowly opened her eyes and instinctively reached for the soft cotton beside her. Her mother had bought the stuffed toy for her on one of their family outings. She was not sure why, but her father had named it "Duran". She hugged the toy dog tightly. It always made her feel secure.

However, the noise outside was getting unbearable.

A tiny frown appeared on her cherubic face as she sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She then swung her feet to the side of the bed, where they dangled for while before they finally touched the floor. Natsuki held Duran close to her as she approached the door. She was extremely pleased to be sleeping in her own bed; she felt very grown up that way.

She could hear them. They were shouting at each other. Natsuki's frown grew deeper as she reached for the doorknob. _Otousan? Okaasan? _She had recognized the voices to be of her parents. Her fingertips had barely touched the cold steel when she heard a loud slap.

…

It was a different scene now. Natsuki sat in the corner of the room as her mother stomped around, opening the wardrobe and drawers to pull out items forcefully before slamming them shut. Although she could not make out her features, she knew she was her mother. And her mother was crying.

"What are you doing?" a man demanded as he grabbed her mother roughly by the arm. Again his features were blurred, but there was no doubt that he was her father.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm leaving!"

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes, I am! And I'm taking Natsuki with me!"

Natsuki clutched Duran tightly. She did not like that her parents were screaming at each other at the top of their voices. She could feel tears welling up as she wished, for the first time in her life, to disappear.

"I'm not letting a mad woman take away my daughter!"

Natsuki's father snatched the suitcase from the bed and dumped its contents onto the floor. Her mother let out a frustrated cry before engaging in a scuffle with her husband for possession of the suitcase. The last thing that Natsuki saw was her father shoving her mother against the wall.

…

The next time Natsuki opened her eyes, she was enveloped in darkness. The air was suffocating. "O—kaasan? Otousan?" she called timidly. But there was no reply. She reached out with her small palms and felt around blindly. One hand soon touched the cool surface in front of her, while the other found the familiar soft cotton. Natsuki was filled with relief as she squeezed the toy dog against her chest. She was very, very frightened.

Out of the blue, there was the sound of a door bursting open, followed by hurried footsteps. Natsuki felt a gust of cold air hit her face, and heard her mother's shaky voice. "Na-chan," her mother said as she reached out to caress her face, "I—I'm really sorry, but okaasan won't be with you for a while."

Her mother's hand was icy cold, but Natsuki felt comforted all the same. "Why?" she asked.

"I…"

Even in the darkness, Natsuki could tell that her mother was grimacing and her tears were flowing freely.

"Na-chan, listen to me. Stay here, and don't make any noise."

"Is that clear?"

Natsuki nodded mutely. She always obeyed what her mother said.

Her mother ruffled her hair affectionately. That tender moment, however, was interrupted by the sound of footsteps thundering up the stairs.

"Remember what I said! Keep quiet!" her mother said in a hushed tone as she bolted upright, and it was then that Natsuki caught a glimpse of the silvery metal in her mother's hand. The cool surface was once again closed in Natsuki's face, though in her haste, her mother had left a narrow slit through which Natsuki peered.

That was the last time she saw her mother.

Soon after the woman disappeared behind the door, there was another loud commotion. Natsuki heard a man grunt and a woman shriek. Then there was an ear-piercing _bang_. Followed by another, and another, and another.

Then there was silence.

Natsuki slowly lifted her eyelids as she lowered her hands that were covering her ears. She shifted forward a little to peek out of the slit, but she could not see clearly.

She was about to call out for her mother when the door creaked open.

A cloaked figure entered the room stealthily. Natsuki could feel her heart pounding as the figure paced around the room, like he was searching for something. Or someone.

The figure walked past the window, and moonlight fell on his exposed hand. His skin was of such an ashen colour that Natsuki flinched and let out a barely audible yelp. The figure immediately halted in his steps, before directing his searing gaze at her.

The next thing she knew, the pale hand was reaching out for her.

_Okaasan! _

Natsuki jolted awake. Her chest heaved as her eyes searched her surroundings wildly. It took her some time to realize that she was not the little girl in the dream, that she was truly awake this time.

She could feel that her back was drenched with sweat, but she did not dare to move. She suddenly felt that her room was too big, and too dark.

Natsuki's gaze finally landed on the alarm clock beside her. It was 2.26 am, and she knew that she would not be able fall asleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

"

"

A/N: Umm. I can't believe it's been two months since my last update, and my apologies to those who were kept waiting. But before you reach for the nearest object to hurl at me, please understand that things haven't been going too well for me, so I neither had the time nor energy to write. In fact, this is how I look like now =_= Well, for those who don't read emoticons, it's called "sleep deprived".

Thanks for your comments/reviews, they go a long way in ensuring that the author does not live happily ever after with an incomplete story. As for those who kindly kept their fingers crossed for me, you can, err, untangle them now.

Lastly, I felt a little "rusty" writing this story, and constantly had to refer to my previous chapters... so do drop a comment/review on how you found it!:)


	8. Chapter 8: Captive

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. **

* * *

**Chapter 8: Captive**

She knew she should was not supposed to, but here she was again, standing in the courtyard, watching the brown-haired girl's fingers dance lithely over the musical instrument.

As the melody died down, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Akane."

The koto player turned around in her seat immediately. "Murasaki," she said, beaming as she stood up gracefully, "I was afraid that you weren't coming."

Shizuru merely smiled in return.

Akane took gently her by the arm and led her to another part of the courtyard, where they sat down by a large tree. They chatted easily on various topics, before Shizuru decided that she had to ask the question that had been nagging her for some time.

"Akane, that man who came to look for you..."

Shizuru's last meeting with the girl had been interrupted by a sudden visit from a young man. Curious to find out who he was, Shizuru had not left Akane's residence, choosing instead to hide amongst the trees and observe their interaction. From his dress and the refined manner in which he carried himself, Shizuru could tell that that he belonged to the upper class, or even the aristocracy. But what really disturbed her, was how close the two of them had seemed to be.

The brown-haired girl flinched almost imperceptibly. "Yes?"

"Who is he?"

"Kazuya-kun…is my fiancé."

Shizuru's eyes widened in shock and she momentarily stopped breathing. Eventually she exhaled, lowering her gaze to the ground. _I should have known_, she thought sullenly as she struggled against the terrible ache in her chest.

The other girl seemed to have sensed her distress, and took her hand. Surprised, she looked up at the pair of hazel eyes.

"I was betrothed to him even before I was born."

"Then...do you like him?" Shizuru said, sounding more concerned than she should be.

Akane kept quiet, a wistful smile on her face.

"You do?"

"I do... But I like you more."

"Kazuya-kun is just like a brother to me," Akane continued. She took care to emphasize the word "just", but this went unnoticed by Shizuru, for whom time had ground to a halt at the previous sentence.

"Murasaki?"

The crimson-eyed girl finally snapped out of her stupor. "Yes?" she said a little too loudly.

Akane giggled. "Won't you come with me to the summer festival?"

Shizuru fell silent. It was not a good idea for her kind to appear at such events. She had already broken the rules by becoming friends with Akane.

"I'm sorry, Akane, but..."

"You can't?"

"Yes..."

"It's alright..." Akane said quietly as she tried to smile. However, as she was never skilled at hiding her feelings, her disappointment was written all over her face.

Shizuru frowned. She did not like what she saw at all. _I guess one time should be alright… _

"Umm, on second thought, I think I'll be able to make it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thank you, Murasaki!" Akane exclaimed as she pulled the other girl into a hug. Shizuru had not expected this. She stood there awkwardly, before carefully putting her arms around her.

Her happiness was short-lived, however, as she soon sensed that there were people approaching the courtyard. She extracted herself reluctantly from Akane's embrace.

"Someone's coming," she said.

"You always seem to know," Akane said teasingly, "are you superhuman?"

Shizuru was left speechless for a moment. The girl still did not know about her. Although they have been meeting each other for a while now, Akane never really probed into her background. She never asked how Shizuru always managed to slip into her heavily guarded residence, before leaving as stealthily as she came, or how their meetings always took place in the middle of the night. Shizuru, on her part, would skillfully deflect any subtle question from the girl, though she would often glimpse a flicker of disappointment in her hazel eyes.

Shizuru knew that she wanted to know more about her, and she felt that she needed to let her know.

However, the footsteps were nearing them.

"I'll see you next time then," Shizuru said softly.

"Mm," the brown-haired girl nodded her head, "I'll be here waiting for you."

Shizuru gave one last smile before tearing her gaze away from the girl. She could feel latter's eyes on her as she stroke briskly away from the courtyard and entered the maze of buildings.

Soon, the sound of the koto filled the air.

_Please bear with me, Akane. Next time, I will tell you...everything about me._

* * *

The sun was dipping into the horizon as Shizuru stepped out of the dimly lit chamber. She tilted her head to the side in a bid to stretch her stiff neck, and let out a long sigh of relief. Her time inside had felt like almost an eternity. However, she had scarcely indulged in the fresh air when she was greeted by an unwelcome presence.

"Good afternoon, Sergay-san," she said evenly.

There was a chuckle behind her. "Impressive as always, Shizuru-san," the man said as he walked to stand before the crimson-eyed girl. His footfalls would not have been detectible by any other person. But he knew that she was anything but ordinary.

The corners of Shizuru's lips were curled up. "You flatter me."

Sergay was, of course, intelligent enough to perceive the distaste that lay under that perfect smile. He held on to the sides of his stylishly tailored coat while his gaze flicked to the girl's wrists. They were badly bruised, but healing rapidly now that she was free of the chains. His smile widened further. "I trust that you had a pleasant time?"

Shizuru leaned against the wall languidly and folded her arms, with one elbow resting on the other arm. She inclined her head backwards and tapped two fingers against her cherry lips, as if she was considering an extremely difficult problem.

"I wouldn't say pleasant, but it was certainly…memorable."

"Indeed," Sergay said as he took a step towards her. "Well, Shizuru-san, you must agree with me that such punishment is merely a slap on the wrist, having regard to the nature of the crime?"

"And pray tell, Sergay-san, what is the crime when Shizuru was merely enforcing the Regulations?"

Both Sergay and Shizuru turned to face the speaker. Midori was, like Sergay, dressed smartly in business attire. The anger in her eyes as she approached them, however, was a far cry from the Cheshire cat grin that Sergay was wearing.

"Oh, good afternoon, shukun-sama," he said blithely with a bow, "I was merely raising the point that not too long ago, destroying our own kind would have led to much more severe consequences."

Midori flipped her long mahogany hair behind her shoulder and knitted her brows. "In any case, I would expect that you, as a member of the Council for Justice, would agree that Shizuru was merely abiding by the Regulations?"

"There's no doubt about it. Nonetheless, as I explained to my fellow Councillors at the hearing, it is important that we send a message to the masses that the Council will also not condone such potentially divisive behaviour."

Sergay straightened his back and looked at Midori and Shizuru in turn with a triumphant smile. Midori had not been able to defeat his argument then, and it stood to reason that she would not be able to invoke a convincing rebuttal now. He felt a sense of satisfaction at seeing the pair of golden eyes narrow with rage. Nevertheless, he was aware that there was nothing to gain in pushing the Master of the Coven over her limit. In fact, it was dangerous.

"Ah, I almost forgot that I have a meeting with the Prime Minister this evening," Sergay said as he ran his fingers through his yellowish blonde hair. "I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself. Good day, ladies." He tipped his head suavely and strode away.

"I swear, some days I just feel like wringing his scrawny neck!" Midori spat as Sergay turned around the corner of the long corridor.

Shizuru exhaled heavily. She was too exhausted to be bothered with the man.

Midori turned to look at her with a worried expression. "Are you okay, Shizuru?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Midori. See?" Shizuru said as she opened her arms wide. The wounds on her wrists, however, could not escape the sharp-eyed woman.

"Bloody bastards. They needn't have shackled you at all!"

"Well, Midori, they were entitled to be concerned. I don't have a good track record, after all," Shizuru replied wryly.

Midori chuckled in spite of herself. "That's quite correct, Shizuru-chan, I expect that you would have run off if they didn't do that."

"Ara, you don't have faith in me too?" Shizuru said with a rueful look.

"In this respect, no," Midori answered playfully, before her expression turned somber. "But seriously, Jiro Tanaka and Rin Suzuki would have been in any case executed for harming Mortals. What you did merely saved the Council work, and a great deal of trouble from the Mortals' Government. If not for the fact that that creep decided to stand up and make a huge hullabaloo, the Council would have dismissed the matter."

Shizuru remained silent as she considered Midori's words. Being imprisoned in a tiny cell for twenty-one days was obviously far from enjoyable, but she was not going to whine about it. After all, she had been through worse. And as Sergay mentioned, the punishment meted out in the past was much, _much_, more severe.

Shizuru was about to let out a sigh when she remembered something. Something which she had been thinking about for the last twenty-one days, and which was only temporarily pushed to the back of the mind by her encounter with Sergay. She grabbed hold of Midori's arm. "What day is it today, Midori?"

Midori was taken aback by the sudden change in Shizuru's behaviour. The latter's crimson eyes, which had been glazed over due to fatigue, was now flashing with what Midori recognized as panic.

"W—what? It's Friday." Midori blinked. She could not remember the last time she saw the perpetually cool and composed Shizuru behave in such a manner. "What's wrong?"

Shizuru seemed to brighten up instantaneously. _I might just be able to make it._

"Nothing much, Midori, thank you!"

"Shizu—"

Midori had barely opened her mouth when the crimson-eyed girl turned to sprint down the corridor, and disappeared up the stairs. Her mouth hung open slightly as she pondered what in the world could get Shizuru Fujino so anxious.

* * *

Natsuki frowned as she snapped her mobile phone shut with a click. Nao had been acting rather strangely for the past few weeks. Other than being uncharacteristically gloomy, there were a number of occasions in which the girl would open her mouth as if to say something, before finally swallowing the unspoken words. Just a while ago she had sent Natsuki a text message, asking whether she was at her study session.

Perhaps such a question would have been considered to be normal among friends, but coming from Nao? It was simply baffling.

To make matters worse, Natsuki has not had any chance to talk about Nao's odd behaviour with her effervescent friend, who was even busier than normal. Mai had apparently started work at one of the restaurants in town, though she had been vague as to which one it was exactly.

The dark-haired girl strolled aimlessly in the garden and eventually stopped in front of a neatly pruned shrub of violets. In spite of all that, she knew what the cause of her sullen mood really was.

_She is not here today. Again._

For every single day in the past three weeks Natsuki had faithfully waited at the garden, but not once had Shizuru showed up. As time passed, her annoyance at the crimson-eyed girl gave way to concern. Shizuru had never been absent from school for such a long period of time. Indeed, after they started their study sessions, Shizuru had appeared in school a lot more often. Or at least, they met regularly. And she had always kept her promises.

Is it possible that she will not see her again? Somehow, the thought made her very uneasy.

Natsuki reached out to touch the soft edges of the violet petals. _She lied to me_, she thought as her hand started to close in on the fragile flower, _just like okaa—_

"Natsuki!"

The dark-haired girl froze in her movements, not really believing what she had just heard. She was reluctant to turn around, afraid that she would be yet again disappointed by the realisation that it was only her imagination.

Nonetheless, she surrendered. Natsuki turned her body hesitantly; to see the girl she was waiting for standing a distance away, beaming.

* * *

Shizuru had rushed to the garden at top speed. She knew that it was most unlikely that Natsuki would be there. Even then, she hoped that she would get to see her today.

The last time she met Natsuki, they had agreed to have their future study sessions in the garden. On that same night, however, the incident with Nao occurred. The moment Shizuru returned from Youko's clinic, she was summoned before the Council of Justice to explain herself. Things then happened so fast that she did not have the chance to let someone send a message to Natsuki. For the first time, Shizuru regretted not getting one of those portable phones that would have allowed her to contact the dark-haired girl. The issue bugged her during her imprisonment, even more than the pain caused by the shackles she was wearing.

Shizuru leapt over a couple of bushes as she made her way towards the pavilion. A familiar sight soon greeted her, and she could not help but break into a big smile.

"Natsuki!"

The dark-haired girl appeared to flinch on hearing her name, before slowly releasing the flower in her hand and lowering her arm. Shizuru frowned. _What was she doing?_

She did not have the time to think as Natsuki had turned around. Shizuru continued to approach her with large strides, but slowed down as she neared her. At the same time, her smile disappeared.

Natsuki was visibly thinner and paler than usual. She had dark shadows under her eyes, which were no longer brilliant emerald, but a shade of dark rippling green. _It's only been three weeks…_ Shizuru thought as a bad feeling swept through her.

"Natsuki," she said in a softer and gentler voice.

"Sh…" the dark-haired girl barely had the chance to get her words out when her knees buckled and she collapsed into Shizuru's arms.

* * *

"Natsuki-san is probably suffering from exhaustion. She just needs to get some rest."

"Thank you, Nakamura-sensei."

There was the sound of curtains being drawn. Natsuki opened her eyes slightly and saw a matronly figure fumbling with something at the table beside her. She slowly shifted her gaze around and caught sight of the crimson-eyed girl, who had poked her head in from outside the blue curtain.

"You're awake," Shizuru said with a grin.

Natsuki blinked dazedly. _Where am I_, she pondered. She gradually became aware of the sterile smell of disinfectant that permeated the place. It reminded her of the hospital. A sudden feeling of panic seized her.

The school nurse, who had been busily arranging her medical equipment, turned around to see the dark-haired girl struggling to get up. "Natsuki-san, what's wrong?"

"I want… to go home," Natsuki said as she finally managed to sit up. She felt dizzy, however, as the blood drained from her head, causing her to slump backwards.

"Natsuki-san, you need more rest," the nurse said as she rushed to her side.

Seeing Natsuki's reaction, Shizuru pulled aside the curtain and stepped in. She looked on worriedly as the nurse tried to coax Natsuki to lie down. But the girl seemed adamant to get out of bed. Her body trembled as she pressed onto the sides of the bed and sat up. She then shook her head a little, as if to clear out the haziness in her brain, and tried to put her foot on the floor.

"No, you are not well yet," the nurse said firmly as she tried to push Natsuki back onto the bed. Although Natsuki was not suffering from a major illness, there was no way she should be leaving the infirmary in this state. The nurse could not understand why the girl was being so stubborn.

"N—no, no," the dark-haired girl said as she tried to resist with whatever little strength she could muster. She knew that she would not be able to fight off the nurse, but the growing panic in her compelled her to leave the place immediately. In the end, she turned her head to the side and looked at the crimson-eyed girl.

"Shizuru…"

At the back of her mind, Shizuru noted that this was the first time she had heard Natsuki call her name. Before she realized what she was doing, she had stepped forward. "Nakamura-sensei."

"Please allow Natsuki to go home."

The nurse turned and looked at Shizuru with a confused expression. "But Shizuru-san, you know that Natsuki-san is not well enough."

"I understand… But… I promise that I will look after her." Even Shizuru was surprised by the words that tumbled out of her own mouth. Somehow or another, one glance at the pleading look that the dark-haired girl was giving her and all her commonsense went out of the window.

The nurse frowned. "But…"

"As you said, Natsuki just needs more rest. I'll stay with her until she gets better," Shizuru said imploringly.

The nurse let out a sigh. The crimson-eyed girl seemed to be very serious about it. Moreover, she did not think that Natsuki would be contented to lie down obediently, and she was not keen on using any tranquilisers.

"Very well."

"Thank you very much, Nakamura-sensei," Shizuru said as she flashed a wide smile. The nurse appeared to be momentarily stunned by the sight. With an amused shake of the head, she continued to do what she was doing earlier.

Shizuru approached the bed. Natsuki's eyes were half-closed and she was breathing heavily. Nevertheless, she looked up at the crimson-eyed girl as she leaned closer.

"Natsuki," Shizuru called softly, "let's get you home."

* * *

The two girls stood at the entrance of the school building. Night had long fallen and the campus was deserted. Natsuki fidgeted awkwardly with Shizuru's black jacket, which she was wearing. Shizuru had insisted that she put on the jacket before stepping out of the infirmary, and even went to the extent of personally ensuring that all the buttons were done properly. Naturally, this was met with (futile) resistance from a certain red-faced girl. When Natsuki had protested on the basis that the other girl would feel cold, the latter had merely remarked evenly: "I don't."

Now that they were away from the infirmary, Natsuki felt considerably less anxious. Her legs remained a little wobbly, however. As she made her unsteady way down the steps, Shizuru raised her arms, as if to catch her if she fell. Suddenly, she swayed to the right.

"Natsuki."

"I—I'm okay," the dark-haired girl said as she tried to shrug off the pair of strong arms that were holding her shoulders.

Shizuru stepped in front of her. "You're not okay. We're not going to be able to get to your place at this rate." With that, she bent forward and reached one hand around Natsuki's thigh.

"W—what are you doing?" Natsuki said as she staggered backwards.

"Ara, to carry you of course," Shizuru said with a half-serious expression.

"What? No!"

"What's there to be embarrassed about? After all, that's how I carried you to the infirmary."

Natsuki's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Images of herself being carried by the girl flooded her mind, and although she was supposedly suffering from low blood pressure, she felt the all-too-familiar heat in her cheeks.

Shizuru let out a chuckle, though her expression soon turned serious. "In that case, you'll just have to spend the night at the infirmary." She grabbed Natsuki's hand and proceeded to pull her into the building again.

"N—no," Natsuki said as she repeated the same word for the nth time that day. She clutched on tightly to the hand that was tugging her along, causing Shizuru to stop and turn around to look at her.

"Shizuru," she mumbled with her head bowed, "please."

Once again Shizuru experienced a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. _Maybe I shouldn't have asked her to call me by my first name_, she mused as she let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright..."

Shizuru released Natsuki's hand and walked back towards the entrance, before turning to look at the latter.

"What?" Natsuki was puzzled.

"Get on," Shizuru said as she tilted her head slightly to side and smiled.

It took Natsuki a full ten seconds before she realized what the girl meant. "W—what?"

"Or else we'll go back to the infirmary."

Natsuki had no choice but to walk sulkily towards Shizuru. She was putting her hands on Shizuru's shoulders uncertainly when, without any warning, the girl reached behind, grabbed her by her knees and lifted her onto her back.

Natsuki let out a yelp as she frantically wrapped her arms around Shizuru's neck.

The crimson-eyed girl chortled merrily as she carried her away from the building.

* * *

All was quiet around Shizuru, save for the barely audible sound of her unhurried footsteps, and the rustling of leaves caused by the occasional breeze.

_What would Sergay think if he finds out about this_, Shizuru mused with a small smirk. It was not hard to imagine the kind of accusations that would be levelled at her behind her back if the others realized that she had gotten into the habit of giving Mortals piggyback rides. First Nao's mother, and now Natsuki.

That said, Natsuki was different.

The girl's long, soft tresses fell around Shizuru's neck, enveloping her in the faint scent of roses. She could feel her warmth embracing her back as she carried her, as well as her slow and steady breathing against her cheek. It was a comforting feeling, something that Shizuru had not experienced in a long time.

Even though Natsuki's arms were wound snuggly around her, she seemed to have fallen asleep. Shizuru did not want to risk her slipping off, and hence decided to keep to an even pace. She turned her head slightly to ascertain that the girl was still soundly sleeping, before carefully shifting her into a more secure position.

The school nurse had concluded that Natsuki was suffering from exhaustion, but could not shed any light on its cause. At the same time, Natsuki had appeared to be terrified by the infirmary. All these raised a lot of questions, to which Shizuru had no answers. Her instinct, however, told her that the girl had a troubled past.

Shizuru was immersed in deep thought when she reached her destination. The block of private apartments in which Natsuki was staying was situated in a decent neighbourhood not too far away from Fuuka High School. The dark-haired girl barely stirred as she was carried through security, into the elevator and finally into her apartment on the ninth floor. Once in a while she would make a small grunting noise to admonish whoever was disturbing her sleep, but that was about it. Shizuru could not help but grin in amusement.

At last the girl was tucked into her queen-sized bed, and Shizuru was free to take a good look at her surroundings. She raised an eyebrow as she realized how messy the apartment was. Clothes, cartons and packets of tidbits and instant noodles were everywhere. "Ara…" Shizuru mumbled under her breath. Natsuki seemed to be the sole occupant of the apartment, so why was there a bewilderingly large number of expensive-looking lingerie strewn all over the place?

Putting that aside, Shizuru was also surprised that Natsuki was not living in the dormitories like the most of the students, and was instead staying on her own. It only served to confirm her suspicions that there was something unusual about the girl.

"No…"

On hearing Natsuki's voice, Shizuru immediately walked back to the bedroom. The dark-haired girl was still unconscious, but her brows were tightly knitted, and beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead.

"O—tousan… okaasan…"

It was clear from her voice that she was frightened.

_A nightmare? _Shizuru frowned as she stepped closer to Natsuki, who was wincing in her sleep. She reached out her hand tentatively, wondering whether she should wake the girl up, when the latter grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.

"Duran…"

_Who's Duran? _Shizuru pondered, her eyebrows raised in puzzlement. She had her quick reflexes to thank for not falling on top of Natsuki, who remained asleep. The only problem was, even though she had affixed one hand on the headboard to steady herself, her other arm was still locked tightly against Natsuki's chest.

Having grabbed hold of Shizuru's arm, Natsuki ceased talking in her sleep, and her constricted features relaxed into a serene expression. Shizuru attempted to pull her arm out, but whenever she did so, a look of anxiety and fear would spread over the girl's face, causing her to pause in her actions.

Perhaps Shizuru would not have minded Natsuki taking her arm hostage as much, if not for the fact that she was stuck in an awkward and uncomfortable position.

_Oh dear_, Shizuru thought as she exhaled heavily. Even immortals are not spared from backaches. However, she could not really bear waking the girl up from her sleep, not when she was finally sleeping peacefully. Finally, she settled on a solution.

Shizuru gingerly crawled onto the bed and lay down beside Natsuki. _I guess it can't be helped_, she mused as she closed her eyes. She would just have to ensure that she wakes up before the dark-haired girl does.

* * *

The sun was hanging high in the sky when Natsuki finally regained consciousness. For once, her heart was not racing and she was not drenched in cold sweat.

She opened her eyes slowly. As her emerald orbs gradually adjusted to the brightness of the room, she began to make out a faint whiteness a few inches away from her face. Natsuki jerked backwards when she realized who she was staring at, but she did not move too far. She looked down, and saw that the girl's arm was fastened securely around her waist. She looked up again. She had intertwined the girl's other arm with hers.

Natsuki let out a yelp. _What is going on? _Alarm bells were ringing loudly inside her head, and her face was flushed to match the other girl's crimson eyes. Luckily for her, Shizuru's kind tend to fall into a deep slumber during the day, and hence would not be easily awoken.

Natsuki desperately tried to recall what had happened the night before. All she could remember was holding on to Shizuru as she carried her through the chilly night. Feeling the comforting warmth against her chest and listening to the calming sound of Shizuru's steady footsteps, it had not taken her long to fall asleep.

Everything else was a blank. But instead of jumping out of the bed, which everyone would have expected her to do, Natsuki continued to lie on her side, facing the crimson-eyed girl.

She could feel her cheeks burning as she released her grip on Shizuru's arm. At last, she had the opportunity to observe the girl up-close without being subject to her teasing. Natsuki's gaze roamed freely over Shizuru's face, taking in her long and thick eyelashes, her smooth cheeks and her gently upturned lips. The girl's hair shimmered under the rays of light falling through the window, while her pale skin seemed to take on an ethereal glow. Natsuki was fascinated. She did not know how long she lay there, watching her as she slept.

Suddenly, Shizuru twitched. Natsuki squeezed her eyes shut at once and pretended to sleep. She felt the bed shift slightly. There was then a pause, before the crimson-eyed girl slowly removed the arm wrapped around her waist, as well as the one which had since been released from Natsuki's grasp. Even though the warmth lingered for a while, Natsuki was left with a hollow feeling in her chest.

Sensing that Shizuru had sat up from the bed, Natsuki opened her eyes to steal a peek. The former ran her fingers through her slight messy hair as she got to her feet. She then stretched her arms, and massaged the one that Natsuki had clung on to through the night.

As she started walking out of the bedroom, Natsuki sat bolt upright. "Wait!"

Shizuru spun around, and glanced at the window before breaking into an amused smile. "Good afternoon, Natsuki."

"Where—are you going?" Natsuki sputtered. She immediately smacked herself in her head. That sounded like a jealous wife interrogating her husband on his whereabouts. She smacked herself in the head again. _What on earth am I thinking?_

Shizuru's smile grew wider. "To get some food for you. I assume that you are hungry?"

There was no need for Natsuki to speak as her stomach promptly replied on her behalf. She shot a glare at the other girl, who was clearly choking on laughter.

Shizuru straightened herself up. "I'll be back soon, okay?" she said gently, to which Natsuki nodded obediently. _Wait a minute_, Natsuki thought, _that sounded like—_ But the crimson-eyed girl was already out of the door.

…

As she had promised, Shizuru returned quickly. Extremely quickly, actually. Natsuki watched in silent amazement as the girl laid down her shopping bags, dug out an unused but long-forgotten apron from underneath a pile of clothes (which sent Natsuki scrambling to stuff her clothes, especially her _precious cargo_, into the cupboards) and proceeded to whip up a storm in Natsuki's kitchen. In just fifteen minutes, Natsuki had a steaming plate of grilled fish, complete with potato wedges and boiled vegetables placed before her. It was even faster than the fast-food restaurants.

Natsuki sat in front of the sumptuous dish, speechless.

"Won't you try it? I've been told that my cooking skills are pretty good," Shizuru said with a grin.

Natsuki snorted in reply. However, the aroma was causing her mouth to water. She picked up the fork and tried a bite. Her eyes widened.

"Not bad, huh?" Shizuru was positively smirking now.

The dark-haired girl glowered at her even as her hand was busily shoving the food into her mouth. "How—did—you—" she tried to say in between bites.

"I've worked as a cook before. In Europe, in the US."

Natsuki was loath to admit it, but the food was not just good, it was heavenly.

"What's this?" she pointed at a thick, creamy looking sauce on her plate.

"That's mayonnaise," Shizuru said, "haven't you tried it before?"

Natsuki shook her head. Her meals usually consisted of bento and ramen prepared by Mai, and she had always steered clear of western dishes, finding them too oily for her palate.

"I heard it goes well with potato wedges," Shizuru added.

Without a word, Natsuki dipped her fork into the sauce and tasted it. She then proceeded to spread it generously on every morsel of food before eating them. Finally, she reached for the small jar that Shizuru had bought, and started scooping out its contents.

"Ah, Natsuki?"

"Yea—?" the dark-haired girl mumbled through a very full mouth.

"I also heard that it's very fattening."

Natsuki nearly spat out all her food. "SHI-JOO-WOO!"

…

Natsuki sat cross-legged on the floor. She watched as the crimson-eyed girl dried the plates and cooking utensils and put them neatly into the cupboards. It was quite unfair that she had to so, given that Natsuki was the one who enjoyed the meal, but hey, who told her to laugh so hard at the dark-haired girl?

Natsuki tucked her hair behind her ear. Even then, she was not the ungrateful sort.

"Shizuru…" she said hesitantly.

The girl, who was walking out of the kitchen while taking off her apron, looked up curiously.

"Thank you."

Shizuru paused briefly before her lips curled up in a winsome smile. "You're welcome."

She sat down on the sofa beside Natsuki. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Natsuki kept quiet for a moment. She had never really spoken to anyone about this; even Mai knew only bits and pieces of it. Nevertheless, she felt compelled to tell the crimson-eyed girl.

"I—I haven't been sleeping well," she began, "it's always like this during this time of the year."

"This time of the year?"

"Yes. Near my parents' death anniversary."

Shizuru's eyes widened slightly, but she remained quiet.

"They died, when I was three years old…" Natsuki paused. Unearthing these thoughts, which had been buried in the abyss of her mind, brought forth an uncontrollable rush of emotions. But now that she has started, she could not seem to stop. She swallowed hard, before continuing. "They say—Sakomizu told me—that my father, he had an affair. He had a fight with my mother, who shot him. She then drove her car off a cliff…but it was never found."

"They found me unconscious in the closet. I—I can't remember what happened that night. I only remember waking up in the hospital the next day…" Natsuki's voice trailed off. She clenched her fists, as if she had recalled something immensely disturbing.

A crease appeared between Shizuru's brows. _So that is why she's so afraid of staying in the infirmary?_

"But…but every year, around this time I would start having these dreams." The dark-haired girl took a deep breath. "I can't remember what they are about, except that at the end, there will be—there will be this scary figure reaching out for me," she finished lamely. She instantly regretted telling Shizuru about her. She sounded like a three year old again.

However, when she finally lifted her gaze, there was not a speck of amusement in the other girl's eyes. Instead, there was a pained expression on her face.

"Natsuki..." Shizuru said, "can I hug you?"

"W—what?"

"Well...You look like you need a hug, but I wanted to ask for your permission first," Shizuru said in all seriousness.

"I—idiot! Who asks for permission for such things," Natsuki said, her voice becoming softer as she turned her head to the side in order to hide her reddening face.

"I gather that means 'yes'?" Shizuru reached over and wrapped her arms around the girl.

Natsuki stiffened at once. Although her body gradually relaxed, she kept her arms at her side, not daring to move an inch. She sat there, feeling the other girl's chest rise and fall gently against her own. The fragrant scent that always seemed to follow her was a lot more intense now. Tea? Flowers? She could never guess what it was.

Shizuru's arms tightened around her slightly. "You are really brave, you know that?"

Natsuki could sense her blush intensifying, and resorted to burying her face in Shizuru's hair. Which had the unintended effect of sending her heart into even more of a frenzy.

"It must have been hard, living on your own."

The soothing voice sounded so reassuring, but yet it touched her so deeply that it was terrifying. The dark-haired girl decided her heart could not take it much longer. She murmured a neutral sound as she shifted her body. Shizuru immediately let go of her, a little too quickly for her liking.

Natsuki kept her gaze plastered to the floor. "I'm used to it."

Shizuru looked at her, untold emotions swirling in her crimson eyes. She was overwhelmed with a strange desire to protect the girl. Or to put it more accurately, her desire to keep Natsuki safe from harm further intensified. Even last night, when the girl had stirred uneasily in her sleep, she had in her half-awoken state instinctively reached out to hold her in her arms. Somehow, she could not bear to see her sad or hurt.

"Ara..." she said lightly, breaking the silence that had settled between them, "I almost forgot. The end-of term-exams are coming up, aren't they?"

The dark-haired girl instantly jerked her head up, a look of horror on her face.

"But we haven't had our study sessions for some time..." Shizuru said as she adopted her classic thinking pose, looking as if there was something very interesting on the ceiling, "this won't do..."

She turned around and faced Natsuki, who was presently giving her a hundred and ten percent of her attention.

"In order to make up for lost time, we shall have the study sessions every night."

"What?"

"And of course, it would make sense for me to stay over."

By now, Natsuki was openly gapping.

"Well, it's dangerous for a girl to go home so late in the night," Shizuru explained.

Natsuki grimaced, wanting to retort how the crimson-eyed girl probably posed a greater danger to most people. However, she soon realized the latter's real intentions. She made a mild grunting sound of assent. And Shizuru smiled.

From that day onwards, Shizuru spent every evening in Natsuki's apartment helping her with her revisions. Of course, given the dark-haired girl's poor housekeeping and eating habits, she also ended up taking on the additional responsibilities of cooking and tidying up the place.

When it came to bedtime, Natsuki would crawl into her bed, while the crimson-eyed girl would sit on the spacious window ledge in Natsuki's bedroom and read. Natsuki would fall asleep to the image of the girl's elegant profile bathed in the pool of moonlight, her intense crimson eyes focusing on the pages before her.

Thereafter, Natsuki stopped having her nightmares. What she did not know, however, was that Shizuru would stay awake the entire night, and patiently stroke the back of her hand whenever she started getting agitated in her sleep, until she finally settled back in a peaceful slumber.

What she also did not know, was that her heart had stopped crying out for Duran, but for someone else.

* * *

_Isn't it enough that she saved you?_

Youko's words whirred around in Nao's head, like a persistent fly. She wore a grimace as she followed Mai through the school courtyard, which was bustling with students coming for their first lesson of the day. The orange-haired girl was happily recounting an amusing incident, but Nao barely heard anything. Her mind was still occupied with that horrifying incident that she had yet to find the courage to confide to anyone.

After Shizuru led her to Youko's clinic, the two of them had stepped out, leaving Nao and her mother alone in the room. Youko had then returned without the crimson-eyed girl, and went on to treat Nao's mother. "I'm not one of them," the doctor said evenly when Nao appeared apprehensive. This led to the redhead asking why Youko was helping Shizuru's kind, if she did not belong. The doctor remained silent for a long time, before giving her a cryptic reply: "I have to."

Thankfully her mother was not seriously injured, and regained consciousness a day after she was admitted to the hospital. Nao told the older woman that they had been rescued by a passing police patrol, and the latter fell under the impression that those men and women guarding her room belonged to the police. Minako was blissfully unaware that they were actually sent by Shizuru's kind, and Nao had no intention of letting her know the truth anytime soon.

Nao's initial trepidation of bumping into the crimson-eyed girl in school proved to be unfounded, as Shizuru seemed to have vanished into thin air. Subsequently, during one of her visits to the hospital, she overhead one of _those _whispering to the other that Shizuru had been punished for her involvement in the incident. At this thought, Nao scratched the back of her neck irritably. It made her feel somewhat guilty.

_Isn't it enough that she saved you?_ The words continued to hover in her head. Was this sufficient to convince her that Shizuru can be trusted? Nao could not find an answer for the longest time, but she has finally made up her mind.

"Hey, isn't that Natsuki?"

Nao glanced in the direction that Mai was pointing at. Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched her dark-haired friend stride across the courtyard—with the crimson-eyed girl beside her.

_So the rumours that they are living together are true?_ Regardless, Nao did not have much time to dwell on this intriguing issue, as the fact that she was running headlong into Shizuru was reducing her into a bunch of nerves.

It was too late for Nao to escape, however, as Mai was already dragging her towards the two girls. "Natsuki!" Mai called as she barrelled her way through the groups of curious onlookers who had gathered to admire the beautiful couple. Nao could see that Natsuki was thoroughly embarrassed by the orange-haired girl's enthusiasm.

"Ah, good morning, Shizuru-san," Mai said cheerfully before throwing Natsuki a meaningful look. The dark-haired girl looked like she was both being strangled and wanting to strangle Mai. "If you don't mind, I would like to borrow Natsuki for a while." Before Shizuru could reply, she hauled the grouchy girl off to another corner of the courtyard.

Shizuru had an amused smile on her face as she shifted her gaze from the fervently protesting dark-haired girl to the redhead in front of her. "Good morning, Yuuki-san," she said politely.

Nao nodded her head stiffly in reply.

"How's your mother?"

"She's—" Nao cleared her dry throat, "she's doing fine. She was discharged from hospital two weeks ago."

"I'm glad to hear that."

There was an awkward silence. The redhead folded her arms and looked away. Eventually Shizuru decided that Nao was not going to continue the conversation.

"Well then, I should get going—"

"I—I'm not the ungrateful sort, so," Nao paused, and took in a deep breath, "so thank you for saving us and paying for my mother's hospitalization fees." She blurted out the second part of her sentence so quickly that most people would not have caught it. Fortunately or unfortunately for her, the crimson-eyed girl did.

Shizuru let out a chuckle, earning her a glare from the redhead. "You're welcome," she said, tickled that Nao and Natsuki seemed so different but yet so similar.

"And, and don't think that I'm not paying you back! I will, as soon as I get a job."

This time Shizuru raised her eyebrows. "There's really no need to, Yuuki-san." It had not taken her long to find out about the financial difficulties that Nao and her mother were facing. On the other hand, she suspected that the headstrong girl would not let it rest.

"I owe you a favour, and I will definitely repay you!"

The tremendous amount of pride and determination in which Nao said this caused Shizuru to be stunned for a second.

"I believe you."

The crimson-eyed girl smiled, her smile emanating so much warmth and sincerity that it could rival the sun.

_Damn woman_, Nao grumbled in her head as she realized that she, too, was not immune to blushes.

* * *

It was meant to be just another regular night. Jun Ueda stepped out of the noisy club, humming to himself.

A few women had thrown coy invitations at him, some more daring than the others. But he did not feel like it tonight. Too much of anything only leads to boredom.

Still, it felt good to be forever young.

Jun chuckled as the 80's song of the same name started playing in his head. He made his way down the deserted street, swaying a little in his steps. He then turned into an alley, cursing under his breath about how difficult it was to catch a cab in this part of First District. Otherwise, there would have been no need for him to traverse such a long distance just to get home.

The youthful-looking man had not gone too far into the alley when he sensed a sinister presence. He immediately flattened himself against the wall, narrowly avoiding the giant net that had dropped from nowhere.

At the same time the web of metal fell onto the floor, three hooded figures descended upon him.

Jun caught a glimpse of the cable held in their gloved hands. _Fuck_, _am I so unlucky? _He ran up the wall and did a somersault, landing a distance behind the assailants.

"I'm not that easy to take down, you bastards!"

The three figures showed no hesitation as they rushed towards him. They had each whipped out a kodachi, and the polished blades gleamed menacingly as they sliced at him.

Jun ducked to the side to avoid being cut into half. He swung his fist and delivered a blow to one of the assailants. But it was three against one after all, and besides trying his best to evade the attacks, he hardly had any chance to retaliate.

Spotting an opening, he elbowed the figure on his left, and kicked the other hard in the stomach. He then reached out and grabbed the third. His hand closed around the figure's neck, but the latter managed to maneuver out of his grasp. Nevertheless his fingers caught hold of a small object, sending it flying to a dark corner of the alley.

Even though he was not that drunk, the copious amounts of alcohol Jun had consumed earlier still dulled his reflexes. Fear rose in his chest as his vision clouded over, his assailants' attacks becoming a blur. He was slowly losing control of the situation.

_There is only one thing left to do_, he thought. It would most definitely get him into trouble with the Council, but that surely beats being rendered extinct there and then? Jun closed his eyes, and felt the power coursing through his veins.

Just as he was about to reach his other form, however, he felt a sharp pain. Jun fell to his knees, his hand clutching on to his chest. He looked down at his shirt. The blood was pouring freely; the wound showing no sign of regeneration.

"H—how can this be?" he muttered in disbelief.

The bleeding man cast his gaze upwards, and stared at the hooded figure standing in front of him. The figure's arm was raised, and held what looked like a smoking gun.

_It can't be…they couldn't have done it, _Jun thought as he struggled to get to his feet. He never succeeded, however, as another bullet found itself lodged in the centre of his forehead.

Jun collapsed with a loud thud. Within minutes, he was reduced to dust.

The figure holding the gun made a gesture, and the other two moved quickly towards what was left of Jun Ueda. They picked up the man's clothes, as well as two silvery bullets from the ground.

They were not supposed to use the weapon unless absolutely necessary, not only because of the noise it makes, but also its tendency to create mess. A fine example being the suspicious puddle of red in the middle of the alley. However, that would have to be dealt with later. For now, the priority was to get out of there.

The figure holding the gun made another gesture, and all three melted into the darkness of the night.

As the alley was once again plunged into a deathly silence, a lone object glinted under the moonlight.

* * *

"

"

A/N: Hurray, the Banishers have finally made a reappearance! (Readers: that took you long enough!)

To those of you who decided to stick around, thanks for your patience. I assure you that everything written so far are plot relevant - it's just that the time is not ripe. (Readers: you are being vague again!)

To those who took the time to leave a comment/review, a big, big THANK YOU. It's nice to know that there are people out there reading the story, but it's even better to know that there are people _reacting _to the story :)

Hope you enjoyed this piece, and see you next time!


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